What Type of Fender Is Used for FSRU?

Pneumatic fenders — specifically large-diameter cylindrical floating fenders conforming to ISO 17357-1:2014 — are the standard fender type for FSRU berthing operations. They are designated for ship-to-ship LNG transfer in the SIGTTO Ship-to-Ship Transfer Guide for Liquefied Gases. Three technical reasons explain why no other fender type meets the requirements:

1. Contact area and hull pressure. A 3300×6500 mm or 4500×9000 mm pneumatic fender creates a large curved contact band across the LNG carrier’s hull, spreading the reaction force over a wide area. This keeps hull contact pressure within the limits LNG operators accept for their cargo tanks.
2. Energy absorption at operating scale. Pneumatic fenders at 60% deflection deliver the energy absorption capacity required for LNG carriers in the 80,000–200,000 DWT range. Fixed rubber arch panels and cylindrical rubber fenders cannot absorb equivalent energy without exceeding hull pressure limits.
3. Deployment flexibility. FSRU fenders are deployed per vessel arrival and recovered after transfer. A pneumatic fender’s buoyant body can be positioned, held in place by a chain-and-tire net system, and retrieved without fixed infrastructure on the FSRU hull.

No. Foam filled fenders are not suitable for FSRU LNG carrier berthing because their rigid body geometry cannot distribute reaction force across the LNG carrier hull without exceeding acceptable contact pressure limits at the berthing energies involved. SIGTTO’s Ship-to-Ship Transfer Guide for Liquefied Gases designates pneumatic fenders for STS and FSRU operations.

For a standard LNG carrier berthing at an FSRU, the most commonly specified pneumatic fender sizes are 3300×6500 mm and 4500×9000 mm, selected based on the vessel’s displacement class and the berthing energy calculated per PIANC MarCom 211 (2024). Smaller FSRU operations serving LNG carriers in the 70,000–90,000 DWT range may use 2500×5500 mm fenders. The fender selection process maps the calculated berthing energy to a fender size and pressure grade per ISO 17357-1:2014 — not the other way around.

The table below shows published performance data for the three FSRU-grade sizes at Pneumatic 50 (50 kPa initial pressure), at 60% deflection. Source: JettyGuard mould-type ISO 17357-1:2014 performance data, Pneumatic 50 at 60% deflection; reaction-force tolerance ±10% per the standard.

Pneumatic 80 (80 kPa) data is also available: energy absorption 1,317 / 2,532 / 6,633 kNm and reaction force 2,653 / 3,961 / 7,551 kN respectively for the three sizes above.

Hull contact pressure during an actual berthing event depends on vessel displacement, approach velocity, and effective fender contact width — these values are calculated per project against the OCIMF STS Transfer Guide hull pressure acceptance criteria. A fender selected from the table above will not by itself confirm hull contact pressure compliance; that requires the full berthing energy calculation.

For the fender selection calculation for your specific LNG carrier displacement and FSRU configuration, see our pneumatic fenders for FSRU and LNG terminals page, which includes a downloadable specification request form.

FSRU pneumatic fenders are deployed per LNG carrier arrival, not permanently mounted to the hull. The FSRU vessel operates as a floating terminal, but the LNG carrier berths alongside it temporarily — typically for 12 to 36 hours per offloading operation. Fenders are rigged from the FSRU’s deck using rope tails and chain/tire net sling systems, lowered to the correct waterline position as the carrier approaches, then retrieved and stored once the carrier departs. Permanent mounting is not used because the fender position must be adjusted to match each arriving vessel’s hull geometry and freeboard. Storing the fenders when not in use also protects them from UV degradation and physical damage during transit.

Yes — the SIGTTO Ship-to-Ship Transfer Guide for Liquefied Gases designates pneumatic fenders as the standard fender type for ship-to-ship LNG transfer operations, including FSRU alongside operations. The guide specifies fender positioning, minimum number of fenders per operation, and the requirement that fenders be deployed in a manner that prevents direct hull-to-hull contact. It does not specify a single fender size, as sizing is governed by the berthing energy calculation and hull contact pressure acceptance criteria from the OCIMF STS Transfer Guide. For how many fenders SIGTTO recommends for a standard FSRU berthing, see how many fenders are required for FSRU berthing.

An FSRU fender system uses floating, deployable pneumatic fenders rigged from the FSRU hull, while a fixed terminal fender system uses rigid fender panels or buckling-element fenders attached permanently to a jetty or dolphin structure. The key differences are: (1) an FSRU fender must float and move with both vessels through tide and swell, so a rigid mounted fender cannot serve this role; (2) FSRU fenders must be recovered and stored when no carrier is present, whereas fixed terminal fenders remain in place permanently; (3) hull contact pressure management differs — FSRU pneumatic fenders distribute load across a large curved contact band, while fixed terminal fender panels use a flat UHMW-PE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) facing. For a full explanation of what makes up an FSRU fender system, see what is an FSRU and what fender system does it use.