Tanker News Roundup | September 4 – Chinese- and Korean-built gas carriers, Aframax sea trials and more

It's an all-Asia roundup this week as we feature gas carrier orders from owners in the UK, Denmark and Vietnam, the start of construction of a chemical tanker for a Chinese customer, and sea trials of a new crude carrier.

Construction starts on 18,500DWT chemical carrier for China's Seacon Shipping

China's Fujian Southeast Shipbuilding has begun construction on a new 18,500DWT chemical carrier ordered by local owner Seacon Shipping Group Holdings.

Upon completion, the vessel will have an LOA of 149.8 metres, a beam of 22.8 metres, a depth of 12.7 metres, and a propulsion system that can be modified to allow operation on methanol fuel. The cargo tanks will be used primarily for transporting refined oil, vegetable oil, and bulk chemicals.

Construction is being undertaken in compliance with China Classification Society rules.

Denmark's Celsius Shipping welcomes new LNG carrier to fleet

Denmark's Celsius Shipping, via the Celsius Tech ship management joint venture formed with Hong Kong-based Fleet Management (FML), has taken delivery of a new LNG carrier built by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) of South Korea.

Celsius Greenwich is the fifth in a series of 10 LNG carriers ordered by Celsius from SHI. Like its sisters, it has a total cargo capacity of 180,000 cubic metres, MAN engines, and GTT cargo tanks fitted with membrane sealing systems.

The newbuild will be operated under a long-term charter with BP. The remaining five ships in the series will be delivered between 2024 and 2026.

China Merchants Energy Shipping's newest Aframax crude tanker begins sea trials

Chinese shipbuilder Shanhaiguan Shipbuilding Industry (SHGSIC) began conducting sea trials of a new Aframax crude oil tanker on Wednesday, August 28.

Named New Amity, the ship is the first in a new series of four Aframax tankers ordered from SHGSIC by China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES). All four ships in the series will be operated by CMES subsidiary Associated Marine Company (Hong Kong) (AMCL).

Vietnam's Asia Pacific Shipping orders gas carrier pair from Chinese builder

Vietnamese owner Asia Pacific Shipping (APS) has selected China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) subsidiary Jiangnan Shipbuilding for the construction and delivery of two new LPG/ammonia carriers in a series.

The vessels will each have a total cargo capacity of 50,500 cubic metres. The cargo tanks on each ship will be constructed of low-temperature steel to facilitate the safe transport of a broad range of liquefied cargo such as LPG, ammonia, propylene, butadiene, and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

Navigator Gas taps Chinese yards for VLEC newbuilding pair

Navigator Holdings, operating as Navigator Gas and owner of a fleet of handysize liquefied gas carriers, has entered into contracts to build two new 48,500-cubic-metre capacity liquefied ethylene gas (LEG) carriers with Chinese shipbuilders the Jiangnan Shipyard Group and China Shipbuilding Trading.

The newbuildings are scheduled to be delivered to the Navigator Holdings in March 2027 and July 2027, respectively, at an average price of US$102.9 million per vessel.