On May 8, Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of Yanzijiang Shipbuilding Group, conducted sea trials for the 100,000 m³-class Very Large Ethane Carrier (VLEC) “Xinfu 137”.
The “Xinfu 137” is the first of five vessels of the same type built by Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding for SP Chemicals, a Singaporean chemical company. The vessel is 229.9 meters long, 36.5 meters wide, and has a cargo capacity of 100,000 cubic meters.
In 2024, SP Chemicals placed an order with Yangzijiang Shipbuilding for five 100,000 m³ VLECs in two batches, marking Yangzijiang Shipbuilding’s successful expansion into a new market and making it the first private shipyard in China to enter the VLEC market.
This type of VLEC adopts the Type B liquid cargo tank solution and was designed by the Marine Design and Research Institute of China (MARIC). The cost per vessel is estimated to be as high as US$160 million, with the total cost of five new vessels reaching up to US$800 million.
SP Chemicals, established in 1995, primarily produces chemical raw materials such as ethylene, propylene, styrene, vinyl chloride monomer, caustic soda, chlorine, and hydrogen. This order marks SP Chemical’s first VLEC order as a shipowner.