East Pacific Shipping (EPS) has ordered a new vessel type, the 150,000 cubic metre capacity Very Large Ethane Carrier (ULEC), from a Chinese shipyard.
According to Trade Winds, EPS recently ordered six 150,000-cubic-metre capacity ULECs from Jiangnan Shipbuilding, and is also in talks with South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for two newbuildings of the same type of ULECs. EPS plans to build a fleet of eight vessels of this type, which it expects to take delivery of in 2027.
The vessels are said to have been ordered based on a charter with Satellite Chemical, but specific details of the charter have yet to be announced.
The ethane dual-fuel ULECs built by Jiangnan Shipbuilding will reportedly be equipped with B-tanks that can carry ethane, ethylene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The new vessel's loading capacity will be 50 per cent higher than that of the world's largest VLEC.
It is understood that Jiangnan Shipbuilding started to promote the R&D and design of the 150,000m3 ULEC vessel in 2019. on June 4, 2024, the world's largest and the world's first 150,000m3 ULEC vessel with the second-generation ‘BrilliancE® II’ B-type compartment, which was designed by Jiangnan Shipbuilding, was awarded the certificate by the American Bureau of Shipping. The design was awarded the Approval-in-Principle (AiP) certificate by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
The 150,000 cubic metre ULEC, known as ‘Panda 150E’ under the Jiangnan Shipbuilding ship brand, has a lightweight ‘BrilliancE® II’ B-hull enclosure system to meet the draught requirements in US waters.
Brokers say Chinese ethane buyers are expanding their capacity as the long-haul trade from the U.S. to Asia increases, and EPS has moved quickly to invest aggressively in ethane carriers.
https://www.cnss.com.cn/html/shipbuilding/20240805/354256.html
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