On August 14, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) held a naming ceremony for the first vessel in its series of ultra-large ethane carriers (VLEC) at China State Shipbuilding Corporation Jiangnan Shipyard. The vessel was named “GAS YONGJIANG” and was delivered on the same day.
The 98,000 cubic meter VLEC belongs to the PANDA® 98E series independently developed by Jiangnan Shipyard, especially its core cryogenic cargo containment system, which is the independently developed BrillianceE® Type B cargo tank.
This VLEC has a total length of 230 meters, a beam of 36.6 meters, and a draft of 22.5 meters. It is designed for the transportation of various liquefied gases such as ethane, ethylene, and LPG. It offers advantages including low fuel consumption, low boiling off rate (BOR), no liquid level loading restrictions, and low maintenance costs.
It is the optimal ship type specifically tailored for long-distance ethane transportation, delivering significant economic and social benefits. This VLEC has won the highest award in the shipbuilding industry—the Science and Technology Grand Prize. It features “leading design, advanced technology, environmental friendliness, energy efficiency, comfortable environment and intelligent management.”
During the construction of “GAS YONGJIANG”, Jiangnan Shipyard significantly shortened the cycle of mooring tests. Meanwhile, the submission process for the structure and tightness of the conventional pipeline inert gas system was reduced from 50 days to 30 days, establishing a new standard for test cycles and laying the foundation for the rapid commissioning of liquid cargo systems.
On the same day, AW Shipping, a joint venture of Wanhua Chemical Group, held a naming ceremony for the third vessel in its large Mark III Flex membrane LNG carrier series (H2702). The vessel was named “AL REEF”.
“AL REEF” is the first generation of 175,000 cubic meter MARK III Flex membrane LNG carrier (LNG JUMBO) independently developed and designed by Jiangnan Shipyard in line with the latest international LNG carrier design concepts.
The “AL REEF”, with an overall length of 298.5 meters and a beam of 46.0 meters, has a LNG cargo hold capacity of 175,000 cubic meters. The vessel utilizes a MARK III Flex membrane containment system, which keeps the evaporation rate below 0.085%, meeting the latest regulations. It features mainstream, reliable, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features, achieving internationally advanced comprehensive economic performance indicators.
As the third vessel in the series, this LNG carrier meets or exceeds all design requirements in terms of key performance indicators, including speed, energy consumption, cargo system performance, and environmental standards. It has been inspected and certified by a reputable classification society, ensuring high-quality delivery to the shipowner.
The vessel was built strictly in accordance with the planned production schedule, with smooth and efficient coordination between all stages, laying a solid foundation for the orderly advancement of the series. While ensuring quality and performance, the construction costs were effectively controlled, and the design was optimized to reduce the subsequent operating costs of the vessel.