On September 18, CSSC Jiangnan Shipyard officially delivered the second vessel in its series of 93,000 m³ Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs) built for Singapore-based EPS. The vessel has been named “LILAC COVE.”
This series consists of six vessels and represents a derivative of Jiangnan Shipyard’s independently developed and designed fourth-generation VLGC premium ship type (Panda 93A); it is also currently the world’s largest liquid ammonia carrier. Classed by Lloyd’s Register, the vessel has an overall length of 230.0 meters, a depth of 22.5 meters, and a structural draft of 13.0 meters.
Given that the density of anhydrous liquid ammonia is higher than that of conventional liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), Jiangnan Shipyard has specially reinforced the design of the liquid cargo tanks and adopted a new-generation low-drag hull form developed entirely in-house, ensuring the vessel maintains excellent and balanced performance under full-load, ballast, and various liquid cargo loading conditions with different specific gravities. The vessel can carry a full load of liquid ammonia or a full load of liquefied petroleum gases such as propane and butane, offering flexible cargo compatibility.
In terms of environmental sustainability and low-carbon operations, the “LILAC COVE” is equipped with a proven LPG dual-fuel main engine and shaft generator, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 20% and sulfur oxide emissions by approximately 99%. This meets the requirements of EEDI Phase III and leaves room for a future upgrade of the main engine to ammonia propulsion.