At West Welding’s production facility in Teuva, Finland, two exceptional LNG fuel tanks were completed in 2026 for the world’s largest cruise ship currently under construction. Each Bilobe-type tank weighs over 300,000 kilograms, measures ca. 15 meters wide, 14 meters tall, and 27 to 28 meters long. The tanks are designed to store liquefied natural gas at an operating temperature of around -165°C.
Kymsol was responsible for the cryogenic insulation of both tanks. This single project encapsulates what LNG insulation expertise means in practice: material selection and installation precision that withstand temperature differentials of over 180 degrees, and delivery reliability that holds up against the schedules of international shipbuilding.
The first tank left Teuva for the Port of Kaskinen in May 2026 in the largest road transport in Finnish history. The second followed in July.
What Cryogenic Insulation of LNG Tanks Actually Involves
LNG, or liquefied natural gas, is stored and transported at approximately -162 to -165°C. At this state, the volume of natural gas is roughly 600 times smaller than in its gaseous form, making it a logistically efficient fuel, particularly in maritime applications.
Tank insulation is a critical factor for both safety and efficiency. Its function is to keep heat ingress low enough that the LNG remains in liquid form throughout the entire storage and operational cycle. This places demands on insulation materials and structures that differ fundamentally from conventional industrial thermal insulation.
The specific demands of cryogenic insulation
Conventional industrial insulation is designed to prevent heat from escaping outward from a system. In LNG insulation, the direction is reversed: ambient heat must be prevented from entering the tank. This imposes several simultaneous requirements on the insulation material:
- Extremely low thermal conductivity across the full operating temperature range (from -165°C to ambient)
- Mechanical durability against stresses caused by thermal expansion and contraction
- Moisture management to prevent condensation forming inside the insulation structure
- Fire safety in accordance with IMO maritime regulations
- Installation precision ensuring a continuous insulation layer with no thermal bridges
In the Bilobe tank configuration, where two cylindrical chambers are joined together, the insulation work also demands precise geometric control at junction points and across curved surfaces.
Kymsol’s Role in the Cruise Ship Project
The LNG tank project for the cruise ship is the largest single undertaking in West Welding’s factory history. Planning began over ten years ago, and the actual fabrication commenced when the tank plates arrived in Teuva approximately one year before transport.
Project dimensions
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Tank type | Bilobe (twin cylinder) |
| Weight | over 300 tons |
| Width | aprox. 15 m |
| Height | aprox. 14 m |
| Length | aprox. 27–28 m |
| Destination | Cruise ship, Meyer Turku shipyard |
| Number of tanks | 2 |
The project schedule was tight and tied to international shipyard production. The first tank was transported to the Port of Kaskinen in May 2026 in the largest road transport in Finnish history: a 300,000-kilogram load travelling approximately 30 kilometers from Teuva to the port over 15 hours. Planning the transport alone took nearly a year. The second tank followed in July 2026.
Following block fabrication, the tanks will be shipped by sea to Meyer Turku shipyard, where they will be integrated into the vessel’s fuel system.
Why LNG Insulation Is a Demanding Specialist Discipline
LNG tank insulation work is not simply conventional industrial cold insulation at a larger scale. It is a technically distinct category, combining cryogenic engineering expertise, stringent regulatory and classification requirements, and the ability to operate as part of a complex international project organisation.
Technical characteristics
What makes cryogenic insulation challenging is above all the behaviour of materials at extreme temperatures. When a tank is cooled to its operating temperature, metal structures contract significantly. The insulation system must accommodate this movement. This requires both the correct material selection and an installation technique that accounts for thermal movement throughout.
In maritime applications, requirements are even more demanding. The International Maritime Organization’s IGC Code and classification society requirements specify in detail what materials and structural solutions are permissible in a vessel’s LNG systems. Compliance must be documented and verified at every stage of work.
Quality management in a demanding project
In large-scale tank insulation work, quality management is a process, not a single inspection point. Key elements include:
- Material certification and traceability throughout the supply chain
- Stage-by-stage documentation enabling retrospective inspection
- In-process inspections to eliminate thermal bridges and insulation gaps
- Final documentation for the shipyard and classification society
This process discipline is a prerequisite for the insulation work to be accepted as part of the vessel’s official classification process.
LNG as a Maritime Fuel: A Growing Market, Growing Requirements
This cruise ship project is not an isolated exception. It reflects a broader shift in the maritime fuel landscape.
IMO’s emissions targets are driving shipowners toward cleaner fuels. LNG produces approximately 20 to 25 percent fewer CO2 emissions than heavy fuel oil, with sulphur emissions effectively eliminated. This has made LNG one of the primary transitional fuels, particularly for large passenger vessels.
The global fleet of LNG-powered vessels has grown sharply: by 2025, more than 1,000 LNG-fuelled ships were in service or on order, compared to fewer than 100 a decade earlier.
This trajectory translates directly into growing demand for LNG tank insulation expertise. New vessels are being built, existing ships converted, and terminal infrastructure expanded across the world. Every one of these projects requires a contractor with demonstrable experience in cryogenic insulation under demanding conditions.
From maritime to onshore: LNG expertise extends further
The need for cryogenic insulation is not confined to shipbuilding. LNG terminals, bunkering stations, and industrial process pipework impose the same technical requirements. Expertise demonstrated in the most demanding maritime projects is directly applicable to onshore energy infrastructure as well.
Kymsol’s Insulation Expertise in Energy and Maritime Industries
Kymsol has operated as a specialist industrial insulation contractor since 1982, with references spanning pulp and paper, energy production, LNG terminals, and now the most demanding projects in maritime construction. Operations extend from Finland to Nordic and international projects.
This project represents the highest level of technical demand in Kymsol’s scope of work: cryogenic insulation on the external surfaces of large-format tanks, delivered within international shipyard schedules, in full compliance with IMO regulations.
What clients receive from Kymsol
When selecting an insulation contractor for LNG projects, the decisive factors are technical competence, process discipline, and delivery reliability. Kymsol addresses these at multiple levels, demonstrated through completed projects:
- Technical competence: proven experience in cryogenic insulation and command of the materials and methods it requires
- Quality: documented quality management that satisfies classification society and regulatory requirements
- Delivery reliability: the capacity to operate within a multi-supplier project under international schedules without delays
- Project experience: references from demanding energy and industrial projects where the margin for error is minimal
“Collaboration during the project ran smoothly, and the overall execution proceeded as planned. We are satisfied with the outcome and the professional manner in which the project was carried out.”
– Panu Perasto, Project Director, West Welding Oy
The Teuva project is concrete evidence that Kymsol can take responsibility for insulation work even when the project’s scale, schedule, and technical complexity are exceptional.
The Project Continued: Second Tank Departed in July
The successful transport of the first Bilobe tank to the Port of Kaskinen in May 2026 confirmed the operational capability of the entire project organisation. Elina Hassinen, Deputy Managing Director of specialist haulage company Vuorsola, commented after the transport: “Everything went exactly as it should, so there is no need for major changes ahead of the next transport.”
The second, nearly identical tank, approximately 28 metres in length, was also completed at West Welding’s production facility in Teuva. It was transported to the Port of Kaskinen in July 2026. Once the ship’s hull blocks are completed, both tanks will be delivered to Meyer Turku Shipyard, where they will be installed as part of the cruise ship’s LNG fuel system.
When the cruise ship enters service, its fuel tanks will carry Finnish specialist expertise on board: West Welding’s fabrication from Teuva and Kymsol’s cryogenic insulation work. The tanks are dimensioned to serve the vessel for decades.
Explore West Welding’s expertise and references
Do upcoming LNG or cryogenic projects require a reliable insulation contractor? Explore Kymsol’s insulation services or contact our specialists.
Written by: Kymsol Experts
Published: July 2026
