On August 16, two 99,000 cubic meter very large ethane carriers (VLECs), built by Jiangnan Shipyard under China State Shipbuilding Corporation for Southwest Marine, were named on the same day. The two vessels were named “GAS ORCHID” and “GAS LOTUS” respectively.
It is reported that the collaboration between Southwest Marine and Jiangnan Shipyard began in September 2013, involving several types of vessels. The two VLECs are the third batch of ultra-large ethane dual-fuel vessels in the 2.0 series ordered by Southwest Marine from Jiangnan Shipyard. The naming of these two vessels further solidifies Southwest Marine and Jiangnan Shipyard’s leading position in the industry for high-tech, high-difficulty, and high-value-added liquefied gas vessel construction cooperation. In the future, Southwest Marine will continue to expand and deepen its collaboration with Jiangnan Shipyard.
The 99,000 cubic meter VLEC was independently developed and constructed by Jiangnan Shipyard, using Jiangnan’s independently developed B-type cargo containment system (BrillianceE®). It is the world’s largest VLEC in terms of cargo capacity, and its comprehensive technical indicators have been appraised as being at the international leading level.
The 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 industrial and energy gases, including ethane, ethylene and LPG. This vessel is the optimal ship type specifically tailored for long-distance ethane transportation in the United States and is universally compatible with major LPG terminals worldwide.
This VLEC offers advantages such as low fuel (gas) consumption, low boil off rate (BOR), no liquid level loading restrictions, and low maintenance costs, resulting in significant economic benefits. It is the first to be equipped with an “ethane” dual-fuel main engine, shaft-driven generator, and various energy-saving systems, leading the way in the “low-carbon” transformation and development of high-end vessels in the shipbuilding industry.
As Jiangnan Shipyard’s first 2.0 version 99,000 cubic meter VLEC, “GAS ORCHID” actively practices lean production and continuous improvement concepts while maintaining the high standards, high quality, and high speed characteristics of the 1.5 version 99,000 cubic meter VLEC construction.
It is worth mentioning that, 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.
And 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”.