60+ Modular Skids for a Marine Fuel-System OEM: A Decade of Reliquefaction Units, CIP Packages, Booster Pump Skids & Fuel Handling Systems for LNG/LPG/LEG Carriers

Since 2016, Lmart has manufactured more than 60 modular skid packages for a global marine fuel-system OEM — including reliquefaction units, CIP (clean-in-place) packages, booster pump skids, Ecogas condenser units, glycol water units, bunker station skids, and methanol fuel handling systems. These skids have been installed on LNG, LPG, LEG, and ammonia carriers built at major shipyards across Asia — Hanjin HHIC, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Jiangnan Shipyard, DSME, CIMC Raffles, COSCO, HENGLI, and Yangzijiang — under classification by LRS, NK, DNV, and GB.

Customer	a global marine fuel-system OEM (Finland / Global)
Industry	Marine gas handling — LNG, LPG, LEG, ammonia carrier cargo systems
Vessel Types Served	VLGC, VLAC, VLEC, ULEC, PCTC, Methanol Dual-Fuel
Equipment Scope	Reliquefaction units, CIP units, booster pump skids, Ecogas condensers, glycol water units, bunker station skids, LP handling units, duplex filter skids
Total Quantity	60+ modular skids (2016–2025)
Classification Societies	LRS, NK (ClassNK), DNV, GB
Shipyards	Hanjin HHIC, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Jiangnan Shipyard, DSME, CIMC Raffles, COSCO, HENGLI, Yangzijiang (YZJ)
Partnership Duration	Nearly a decade — 2016 to present

Customer Background and Industry Context

a global marine fuel-system OEM — formerly Hamworthy and later part of the customer’s Marine division — is the world’s leading supplier of cargo handling systems for liquefied gas carriers. Their reliquefaction systems, boil-off gas (BOG) management packages, and cargo conditioning equipment are installed on hundreds of LNG, LPG, and ethylene carriers worldwide. When a VLGC or VLAC is built at DSME, Jiangnan, or any major Asian yard with a the customer gas handling contract, the cargo system arrives as a set of pre-assembled, pre-tested modular skids — ready for lift-on installation and hook-up in the vessel’s compressor room or on deck.

the customer designs these systems. But the physical fabrication of the skid frames, piping assemblies, instrument integration, and pressure-containing components is outsourced to qualified subcontract manufacturers. This is where Lmart fits: as a long-term skid fabrication partner producing the hardware that carries the customer’s engineering into the shipyard.

The modular skid supply chain for marine gas systems operates under unique constraints. Every component is class-approved — meaning Lloyd’s Register, ClassNK, DNV, or the relevant national authority must witness and certify fabrication at each critical stage. Delivery windows are dictated by shipyard block schedules, with delays measured in days rather than weeks. And the equipment itself must survive decades of service in a marine environment: vibration, thermal cycling between cryogenic and ambient temperatures, salt-laden atmosphere, and the mechanical shock of heavy weather at sea.

Challenges and Engineering Pain Points

Multi-Classification Fabrication Across Parallel Projects

A single the customer order cycle may specify LRS for one hull, NK for another, and DNV for a third — each with its own welding procedure qualifications, material certification requirements, NDE acceptance criteria, and surveyor witness points. Lmart must maintain parallel quality control streams, with separate WPS/PQR packages, separate inspection and test plans (ITPs), and coordinated surveyor scheduling across classification societies that operate on different inspection philosophies. LRS and NK, for example, differ in their requirements for extent of radiographic examination on Class III piping, and DNV imposes additional requirements for methanol-service piping materials under their Low Flashpoint Liquid (LFL) notation.

Cryogenic and Low-Temperature Material Requirements

Reliquefaction skids handle cargo vapour at temperatures as low as −104 °C (ethylene service) or −48 °C (LPG service). Booster pump skids operate with liquid cargo at similar cryogenic conditions. All pressure-containing components in contact with cryogenic media must be fabricated from impact-tested materials — typically 304L or 316L austenitic stainless steel, or in some cases 9% Ni steel — with Charpy impact testing at the minimum design metal temperature (MDMT) per the applicable classification society rules. Welding consumables must be similarly qualified, and every production weld on cryogenic piping requires documented preheat/interpass temperature control to prevent sensitization.

Dimensional Precision for Shipyard Interface

Each skid must mate precisely with the shipyard’s hull steelwork — foundation bolt patterns, piping penetration locations, cable gland positions, and ventilation duct connections are defined in the customer’s interface drawings with tolerances typically ≤ ±3 mm on critical connection points. A dimensional deviation on a 6-metre skid frame that arrives at DSME in Okpo or Jiangnan in Shanghai means rework on the ship — an outcome that the customer and the shipyard will not accept. Lmart’s fabrication sequence therefore includes staged dimensional surveys at frame welding completion, after piping installation, and at final assembly — with 3D measurement verification against the CAD model.

Methanol Dual-Fuel: New Fuel, New Fabrication Requirements

The 2022 CIMC Raffles order introduced methanol dual-fuel handling skids — a product category with distinct material and safety requirements compared to LNG/LPG systems. Methanol is a low-flashpoint liquid (flash point 11 °C) that is toxic, corrosive to certain elastomers and coatings, and requires double-walled piping or drip trays throughout the fuel supply path per IMO’s IGF Code. The bunker station skids, LP pump skid, and LP handling units for this project required DNV LFL notation compliance, including methanol-compatible gasket materials, explosion-proof electrical components, and additional leak detection provisions that do not apply to conventional LNG fuel systems.

Scheduling Across Multiple Shipyards and Hull Numbers

The 2021 DSME order alone comprised 28 skids across four hull numbers (Iino Kaiun 91K No. 2359 and Snow White 91K Nos. 2362/63/64), each with its own delivery window aligned to the shipyard’s outfitting schedule. The 2025 CIP order spans five different shipyard programmes — COSCO, HENGLI, Jiangnan, Yangzijiang, and Iino Kaiun — with 18 units shipping to different yards on different timelines. Managing this multi-hull, multi-yard production schedule without compromising quality or delivery requires production planning at a level of granularity that most pressure vessel fabricators are not equipped to handle.

Why the Customer Selected Lmart — and Kept Coming Back for a Decade

Multi-classification workshop approval. Lmart holds active workshop approvals from DNV, LRS, NK (ClassNK), BV, CCS, and ABS — six classification societies covering the full range of the customer’s shipyard customer base. This eliminates the need for the customerä to split orders across multiple fabricators when different hulls require different class approvals. One manufacturer, one quality system, consistent output regardless of which surveyor walks through the door.

Proven cryogenic fabrication capability. Lmart’s core business — ASME-coded heat exchangers and pressure vessels for LNG/LPG service — means the workshop infrastructure, welding qualifications, and material handling procedures for cryogenic work are already in place and routinely audited. the customer did not need to develop a new supplier’s cryogenic capability from scratch; Lmart arrived at the qualification audit with an existing track record.

Capacity and parallel production. Lmart’s 38,000\ m\² workshop with 300+ staff and 15,000 T/year capacity can absorb the kind of batch orders that the customer places — 12 reliquefaction units for four DSME hulls in a single order, or 18 CIP units across five shipyard programmes. Smaller fabricators can build one or two skids at a time; Lmart runs multiple skid assembly stations in parallel, with dedicated rigging and testing bays that keep production flowing without bottlenecks.

Geographic position in the Yangtze Delta. Lmart’s Zhangjiagang facility is located in the heart of China’s shipbuilding corridor — within trucking distance of Jiangnan Shipyard (Shanghai), COSCO (Nantong), Yangzijiang (Taizhou/Jingjiang), and HENGLI (Dalian logistics hub). Skids destined for Korean yards (DSME) or Japanese owners ship from nearby Zhangjiagang or Taicang ports. This proximity reduces transport risk, enables last-minute surveyor coordination, and allows the customer’s project engineers to conduct factory acceptance tests (FATs) without international travel.

Decade of zero-defect delivery history. The most compelling evidence is the order history itself. the customer first qualified Lmart in 2016 for the Hanjin HHIC reliquefaction order. Every subsequent year — 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025 — brought repeat orders of increasing scope and complexity, from LRS-classed reliquefaction units to DNV methanol skids to GB-standard CIP packages. This pattern of sustained, expanding engagement is the strongest possible endorsement of fabrication quality and delivery reliability.

Engineering and Manufacturing Solution

The 60+ skids delivered to the customerä over this decade fall into several functional categories, each with distinct engineering requirements:

Reliquefaction Units (2016, 2021)

Reliquefaction skids re-condense cargo boil-off gas (BOG) back into liquid, maintaining tank pressure on LPG and ethylene carriers during laden voyages. Each unit integrates a shell-and-tube condenser or plate-fin heat exchanger, refrigerant piping circuit, control valves, instrumentation, and a structural frame designed for marine dynamic loads. The 2016 orders for Hanjin HHIC (6 units, LRS) and MHI (6 units, NK) established the fabrication baseline. The 2021 DSME order scaled up to 15 reliquefaction units across four 91K hulls — three for Iino Kaiun No. 2359 and twelve for Snow White Nos. 2362/63/64 — all under NK classification.

Critical fabrication considerations for reliquefaction skids include: orbital welding on small-bore cryogenic piping (typically ≤ DN50 in 316L) to ensure consistent root penetration without backing gas contamination; vibration analysis of the assembled skid to confirm natural frequencies do not coincide with compressor excitation frequencies; and hydrostatic/pneumatic testing of each pressure circuit independently before integration testing of the complete package.

Booster Pump Skids (2016, 2021)

Booster pump skids provide the motive force to transfer liquid cargo from tank to reliquefaction or cargo discharge systems. The pump foundations must be precision-machined to maintain shaft alignment under thermal contraction as the skid cools from ambient to operating temperature. Lmart fabricated 2 units (LRS) for Hanjin HHIC, 2 units (NK) for MHI in 2016, and 4 units (NK) for the DSME 91K programme in 2021. Piping connections use class-approved cryogenic flanges with controlled-compression gaskets to prevent leakage at operating temperature.

CIP (Clean-in-Place) Units (2016, 2019, 2025)

CIP skids are used to clean cargo tanks between grade changes — for example, switching a VLGC from propane to butane service, or cleaning an ammonia carrier’s tanks after discharge. Each CIP unit includes a mixing/heating tank, circulation pump, spray nozzle distribution manifold, and chemical dosing system, all assembled on a marine-rated skid frame. The 2025 campaign represents Lmart’s largest single CIP order: 18 units across five shipyard programmes (COSCO 88K VLGC, HENGLI 93K VLAC, Jiangnan VLEC 99K, YZJ VLEC 100K, and Iino Kaiun 93K VLGC), fabricated to GB standard.

Ecogas Condenser Units & Glycol Water Units (2021)

Ecogas condensers recover BOG energy for use as fuel gas, reducing cargo losses while providing engine fuel. Glycol water units supply temperature-controlled glycol coolant to the cargo handling system’s heat exchangers. Both were supplied as complete skid packages for the DSME 91K programme — 4 Ecogas condenser units and 4 glycol water units under NK classification. These skids require particular attention to glycol-side cleanliness (flushing to NAS 1638 Class 6 or better) and thermal insulation to prevent condensation in the humid marine environment.

Methanol Fuel Handling Skids (2022)

The CIMC Raffles methanol dual-fuel order comprised 10 skids under DNV classification: 2 bunker station skids, 1 LP pump skid, 5 LP handling units, 1 duplex filter skid, and associated loose parts. Methanol fuel systems demand double-containment on all liquid-side piping, methanol-rated seals and gaskets (PTFE or specific fluoroelastomers — standard Buna-N is attacked by methanol), and Ex-rated electrical components throughout. The LP handling units distribute methanol from the service tank to the engine fuel rail at controlled pressure and temperature, with redundant shut-off valves and leak detection sensors integrated into each skid.

Complete Delivery Summary by Year

Year	Equipment	Qty	Class	Shipyard / Vessel
2016	Reliquefaction Unit	6	LRS	Hanjin HHIC — Hull SN270/271
	Booster Pump Skid	2	LRS	Hanjin HHIC — Hull SN270/271
	Reliquefaction Unit	6	NK	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — Hull SN270/271
	Booster Pump Skid	2	NK	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — Hull SN270/271
	CIP Unit	2	NK	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — Hull SN270/271
2019	CIP Unit	2	NK	Jiangnan Shipyard — H2632/H2633
2021	CHV/BPS Skid	1	NK	Kai Heng Long Global Energy — No. 12058
	Reliquefaction Unit	3	NK	DSME — Iino Kaiun 91K, Hull 2359
	Booster Pump Skid	1	NK	DSME — Iino Kaiun 91K, Hull 2359
	Ecogas Condenser Unit	1	NK	DSME — Iino Kaiun 91K, Hull 2359
	Glycol Water Unit	1	NK	DSME — Iino Kaiun 91K, Hull 2359
	Reliquefaction Unit	12	NK	DSME — Snow White 91K, Hull 2362/63/64
	Booster Pump Skid	3	NK	DSME — Snow White 91K, Hull 2362/63/64
	Ecogas Condenser Unit	3	NK	DSME — Snow White 91K, Hull 2362/63/64
	Glycol Water Unit	3	NK	DSME — Snow White 91K, Hull 2362/63/64
2022	Bunker Station Skid	2	DNV	CIMC Raffles — Methanol Dual-Fuel
	LP Pump Skid	1	DNV	CIMC Raffles — Methanol Dual-Fuel
	LP Handling Unit	5	DNV	CIMC Raffles — Methanol Dual-Fuel
	Duplex Filter Skid	1	DNV	CIMC Raffles — Methanol Dual-Fuel
	Loose Parts — Methanol Skid	1	DNV	CIMC Raffles — Methanol Dual-Fuel
2025	CIP Unit	4	GB	COSCO — 88K VLGC, Hull N1253
	CIP Unit	3	GB	HENGLI — 93K VLAC, Hull HL-G93K-1
	CIP Unit	5	GB	Jiangnan — VLEC 99K, H2754
	CIP Unit	5	GB	Yangzijiang — VLEC 100K, YZJ 1651
	CIP Unit	1	GB	Iino Kaiun — 93K VLGC, H2377

Project Execution, Quality Control, and Delivery

Skid fabrication for the customerä follows a standardized production sequence refined over ten years of collaboration, with class-specific QC overlays applied per hull:

• Design review and ITP alignment. Each order begins with a joint review of the customer’s fabrication drawings, P&IDs, and material specifications against the applicable classification society rules. Lmart prepares a project-specific Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) identifying all hold points, witness points, and surveillance points — then submits it to both the customer and the class surveyor for approval before production starts.
• Material procurement and verification. All pressure-retaining materials are procured with mill certificates traceable to the heat number. For cryogenic-service components, Charpy impact test certificates at the MDMT are mandatory. PMI (Positive Material Identification) is performed on every piece of stainless steel plate, pipe, and fitting entering the production line — not on a sampling basis, but 100% verification.
• Structural frame fabrication. Skid frames are fabricated from structural steel sections, with critical dimensions surveyed at tack-welding and again after stress-relief (where specified). Foundation bolt hole patterns are drilled to ±1 mm tolerance using CNC-controlled drilling to match the shipyard’s foundation template.
• Piping fabrication and NDE. Process piping is fabricated per the customer’s isometric drawings, with weld maps tracking every joint to its WPS, welder ID, and NDE results. Radiographic examination (RT) extent follows classification society requirements — typically 10% for Class III piping, 100% for Class I (cryogenic/high-pressure) piping. All cryogenic butt welds receive 100% RT plus dye penetrant testing (DPT) on the root and cap passes.
• Hydrostatic and pneumatic testing. Each pressure circuit within the skid is tested independently — process side, utility side, and drain/vent circuits — at 1.5× design pressure (hydrostatic) or 1.1× (pneumatic with leak detection) per the applicable code. Test pressures, hold times, and pressure gauge calibration certificates are recorded and included in the final documentation package.
• Pre-delivery FAT (Factory Acceptance Test). the customer’s project engineers attend FAT at Lmart’s Zhangjiagang facility for each batch. The FAT protocol covers dimensional verification against interface drawings, functional checks on control valves and instrumentation, electrical continuity and insulation resistance testing, and visual inspection of surface finish, coating, and labelling.
• Packaging and transport. Completed skids are fitted with transport bracing, desiccant bags in enclosed sections, and nitrogen blankets on cryogenic piping to prevent internal corrosion during transit. Skids shipping to domestic yards travel by road; those destined for Korea (DSME) or other overseas destinations are containerized or loaded on flat-rack containers for sea freight from Taicang or Zhangjiagang port.

Results and Business Impact

The numbers speak for themselves: 60+ skids delivered over nearly a decade, across four classification societies, eight shipyards, and at least five vessel type programmes. No other single metric captures the depth of this partnership better than its duration and growth trajectory:

• 2016: First order — 18 skids (reliquefaction + booster pump + CIP) for Hanjin HHIC and MHI
• 2019: Continued CIP supply for Jiangnan Shipyard hulls
• 2021: Largest single campaign — 28 skids for DSME’s 91K VLGC programme, introducing Ecogas condenser and glycol water unit product lines
• 2022: New product category — methanol dual-fuel handling skids for CIMC Raffles under DNV
• 2025: 18 CIP units across five shipyard programmes, demonstrating Lmart’s ability to manage multi-destination batch production at scale

For the customer, this partnership provides supply chain continuity in a region where their order book is concentrated. Having a single qualified fabricator that can handle LRS, NK, DNV, and GB work eliminates the qualification overhead and quality risk of maintaining multiple skid suppliers. For the shipyards, it means the customer’s skids arrive on time, dimensionally correct, and class-approved — ready for installation without rework.

For Lmart, the the customer relationship represents the company’s deepest engagement in the marine gas handling segment — a market that continues to grow as the global fleet transitions toward LNG, LPG, ammonia, and methanol as marine fuels, and as newbuild programmes for VLGCs, VLACs, VLECs, and ULECs expand across Chinese, Korean, and Japanese yards.

Customer Voice

the customer’s continued engagement over nearly a decade — expanding from a single product line (reliquefaction) to six distinct skid types, and from two classification societies to four — constitutes the strongest form of customer endorsement in the capital equipment industry. Repeat orders from a Tier 1 OEM are not given on the basis of price alone; they reflect sustained confidence in quality systems, delivery discipline, and engineering responsiveness.

“The consistency of quality across different classification society requirements is what keeps us coming back. We can place LRS, NK, and DNV work with the same manufacturer and get the same result.”

— a global marine fuel-system OEM project management (paraphrased from supplier review)

Note: Lmart respects client confidentiality. Specific contact references are available upon request during the qualification process.