Kumiai Navigation, a Southeast Asian LPG tanker and bulk carrier company, has placed the first retrofit order for Alfa Laval’s fluidic air lubrication, OceanGlide for an LPG carrier. The system will be installed aboard a 54,000dwt LPG carrier operated by the company, the company confirmed.

OceanGlide uses fluidic technology to create and control streamlined air layer sections on the vessel’s flat bottom, each with its own fluidic band. The independent steering of each band allows a more controlled airflow to reduce friction between the hull and water. These individually controlled sections serve to minimise drag and ensure maximum coverage, eliminating passive cavities along the vessel’s underside.