On July 11, Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering’s (DACKS) first built 309,000 DWT LNG dual-fuel very large crude tanker DE146 successfully completed its conventional fuel sea trials. The vessel was kicked off construction on April 19, 2024.
The VLCC has a total length of 339.5 meters, a beam of 60 meters, and a draft of 28.9 meters. Its deck area is equivalent to three football fields. It is equipped with two 5,100 cubic meter ultra-large C-type LNG fuel tanks, with an LNG range of up to 19,000 nautical miles.
The VLCC was independently developed, designed and built by DACKS. It uses liquefied natural gas (LNG) as its main fuel and is equipped with traditional fuel tanks, which can flexibly switch fuel types, thereby significantly reducing operating costs.
It is reported that the vessel’s sea trial lasted 8 days, during which DACKS completed a number of key tests, including ballast tank test, main engine endurance test, speed test, steering performance test, etc. All key performance indicators met or exceeded the design standards, and its outstanding sea trial performance won high praise from the shipowner’s representatives and classification society surveyors.
The successful conventional fuel trial of the VCLL not only verified the excellent performance of the vessel in traditional fuel mode, but also laid a solid foundation for the subsequent crucial LNG gas fuel system commissioning work.