LR and MARIC Unveil Tri-Fuel Ready Tanker Design to Address Fuel Uncertainty

Lloyd’s Register and the Marine Design and Research Institute of China (MARIC) have collaborated to introduce a tri-fuel-ready tanker concept. The collaborative design is aimed at offering shipowners greater operational adaptability as the maritime industry navigates the decarbonisation transition.

The conceptual blueprint allows operators to accommodate liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, or ammonia. By engineering pathways for all three fuels into the baseline design, the concept seeks to de-risk newbuild investments amid changing fuel availability, technological readiness, and bunkering infrastructure.

Shipowners face ongoing challenges when ordering tonnage due to unresolved questions surrounding global supply chains for zero- and low-carbon fuels. Stricter emissions regulations and regional compliance mandates continue to influence long-term capital allocation, making multi-fuel adaptability an increasingly relevant consideration for fleet renewal.

The joint project from LR and MARIC reflects an industry trend toward flexible vessel engineering, enabling shipowners to hedge against market fragmentation and switch fuel configurations as regulatory requirements and propulsion systems mature.