Exmar launches new gas carrier operating division

Belgian shipping company Exmar has established a new business that will own and operate a fleet of six newbuild midsize LPG/ammonia (LPG/NH3) carriers fitted with gas-powered engines.

The gas carriers to be operated by the newly formed Exmar LPG France are being built at the facilities of HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea. The keel for the first LPG/NH3 carrier in the series was laid earlier this year, and the delivery of this vessel is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025.

Upon completion, each gas carrier will have an LOA of 190 metres, a beam of 30.4 metres, a height of 18.8 metres, and a total cargo capacity of 46,000 cubic metres.

Two ships will be fitted with dual-fuel engines that can also run on LPG while the remaining four vessels will operate entirely on ammonia fuel. The engines on all six ships will be supplied by WinGD.

Exmar expects to take delivery of all six gas carriers in the second quarter of 2026.