On June 25, Jiangnan Shipyard, in collaboration with China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. (CSTC), officially delivered the 99,000 cbm ultra-large ethane carrier “PACIFIC INEOS CHOCOLATE” to Pacific Gas, which will charter the vessel to the INEOS Trading and Shipping Group. This delivery marks the shipyard’s third consecutive vessel handover within just three days, following the delivery of another 99,000 cbm ultra-large ethane carrier on June 23 and a 15,000 TEU containership on June 24.
The 99,000 cbm VLEC was independently developed and built by Jiangnan Shipyard using the company’s proprietary Type B cargo containment system (BrillianceE®). It is the world’s largest VLEC in terms of cargo capacity, and its comprehensive technical specifications have been certified as being at the international leading level.
With a total length of 230 meters, the vessel is suitable for transporting a variety of liquefied industrial and energy gases, including ethane, ethylene, and LPG. It is the optimal ship design “tailored” for long-distance ethane transport in the United States, while also offering universal compatibility with major LPG terminals worldwide.
This vessel offers significant economic benefits, including low fuel (and gas) consumption, a low rate of evaporation (BOR) for its independently developed Type B cargo containment system (BrillianceE®), no liquid-level loading restrictions, and low maintenance costs.
This vessel is the third in the 99,000 cbm VLEC 2.0 series for Pacific Gas. Prior to launching, the installation of outfitting components was completed, and 40 piping systems passed inspection and acceptance; additionally, piping system flushing (with oil and water), main engine positioning, and in-dock deep-well pump installation were finalized, bringing the vessel to a state where the electric motors could be test-run while still in the dock.