On November 26, China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s Jiangnan Shipyard held a naming ceremony for two 99,000 m³ Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs) built for Pacific Gas. The two vessels were named “PACIFIC INEOS HAFRA” and “PACIFIC INEOS BATTLEGROUND”.
The 99,000m³ VLEC was independently developed and constructed by Jiangnan Shipyard. Equipped with the shipyard’s proprietary BrillianceE® Type B cargo containment system, it stands as the world’s largest-capacity VLEC. Its comprehensive technical specifications have been certified as internationally leading.
The vessel measures 230 meters in length and is designed for transporting various liquefied industrial and energy gases, including ethane, ethylene, and LPG. It represents the optimal vessel type specifically engineered for long-distance ethane transportation in the United States, while also offering universal compatibility with major LPG terminals worldwide. This vessel type offers significant economic benefits through low fuel consumption, a proprietary Type B cargo containment system (BrillianceE®) with minimal Boil-off Rate (BOR), no liquid level loading restrictions and low maintenance costs.
It is understood that Jiangnan Shipyard had previously delivered six 99,000 cubic meter VLECs to the shipowner, among which the world’s first 99,000 m³ VLEC was awarded the title of “World Famous Ship” in 2021. This “World Famous Ship” is named “PACIFIC INEOS BELSTAFF” and was delivered on December 28, 2021. It is the world’s largest 99,000 m³ VLEC in terms of cabin capacity and the world’s first 99,000 m³ VLEC to adopt Type B cargo hold.
As the final vessel in the series, PACIFIC INEOS HAFRA saw Jiangnan Shipyard leverage its prior construction experience and maintain thorough communication with the shipowner and classification society, significantly enhancing owner satisfaction.
As the final vessel in the series, PACIFIC INEOS HAFRA saw Jiangnan Shipyard leverage its prior construction experience and maintain thorough communication with the shipowner and classification society, significantly enhancing owner satisfaction.
“PACIFIC INEOS BATTLEGROUND” is the first 99,000 m³ VLEC 2.0 version vessel built by Jiangnan Shipyard for Pacific Gas, and is scheduled to undergo sea trials at the end of November.
As the first vessel produced under the annual output expansion plan, Jiangnan Shipyard overcame construction bottlenecks through lean management initiatives and implemented 196 technical optimizations under Version 2.0. This resulted in multiple key milestones, including reduced liquid tank strength testing time and optimal performance during inclining load tests, continuously pushing the boundaries of construction efficiency.