Glossary
Terms & Glossaries of Shipping and Trading
Inert Gas System
Inert gas system is the most important integrated system for oil tankers for safe operation of the ship. Inert gas is the gas that contains insufficient oxygen (normally less than 8 %) to suppress the combustion of flammable hydrocarbon gases.
A system of preventing any explosion in the cargo tanks of a tanker by replacing the cargo, as it is pumped out, by an inert gas, sometimes by flue gas from ship boilers. Gas freeing must be carried out subsequently if workers have to enter the empty tanks.
