A new ethylene tanker has been handed over to an owner in Germany while construction continues on LNG-carrying ships ordered by customers in China and Greece. A UAE-Chinese joint venture places an order for new ships totalling nearly US$2 billion while a Swedish firm looks to the Far East for a new chemical tanker.
Greek shipping company GasLog has christened its newest LNG carrier. GasLog Italy is one of four vessels currently being built by South Korea's Hanwha Ocean for GasLog.
The vessel measures 294.9 metres long and has a total cargo capacity of 174,000 cubic metres. Delivery is scheduled for August 2024.
German shipping company the Hartmann Group has taken delivery of a new liquefied ethylene gas (LEG) carrier built by China's Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore Engineering (CIMC SOE). Named GasChem Alster, the ship belongs to a series of three LEG carriers designed and built by CIMC SOE and classed by DNV.
The newbuild has an LOA of 116 metres, a beam of 18 metres, a depth of 12.3 metres, a total cargo capacity of 7,200 cubic metres. The ship's dual-fuel propulsion system is configured to also run on LNG.
China's Hunan Jinhang Shipbuilding recently launched a new LNG bunkering barge ordered by local company Hunan Xiangshui Kunlun Hongyuan Natural Gas. Xiangnengyuan 2 is classed by China Classification Society and will be operated in Dongting Lake, providing LNG bunkering services for other vessels.
The barge itself is also powered by LNG. It will also be used as an LNG supply vessel, transporting LNG fuel cargo for offloading at shore terminals.
Swedish shipping company Donsötank has awarded China's Wuhu Shipyard a contract for the construction of a new oil/chemical tanker fitted with a dual-fuel propulsion system. The ship will be the fifth in a series, of which two have already been delivered to the owner.
UAE-based shipowner ADNOC Logistics and Services (ADNOC L&S) has confirmed that AW Shipping, its joint venture with the Wanhua Chemical Group of China, has awarded shipbuilding contracts to China's Jiangnan Shipyard priced at approximately US$1.9 billion in total. The contract for the construction of nine very large ethane carriers (VLECs) is priced at approximately US$1.4 billion and the contract for two very large ammonia carriers (VLACs) is priced at approximately US$250 million, with the option for another two VLACs at the same price.