On September 14, Chinese shipbuilder Hengli Heavy Industries successfully completed the installation of the C-Type twin-ear LNG & ammonia fuel tanks on a 21,000 TEU ultra-large container ship being built for Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).
The fuel tanks, independently manufactured by Hengli Heavy Industries, have a capacity of 13,000 m³ and weigh approximately 1,400 tons each, making them the world’s largestC-Type twin-ear LNG and ammonia fuel tanks to date.
The C-Type is the mainstream tank design for liquefied gas fuel storage. Hengli Heavy Industries’ first-ever C-Type dual-port LNG and ammonia fuel tank was “tailor-made” specifically for MSC’s 21,000 TEU series of ultra-large container ships.
Hengli Heavy Industries stated that the tanks are constructed from special-grade 304L stainless steel for marine applications and can store LNG at -163°C or liquid ammonia at -34°C. They also support seamless switching between the two fuels, offering a flexible solution that prioritizes LNG while using ammonia as a backup fuel. The modular design is compatible with the full range of vessel types from 21,000 to 24,000 TEU.
The unveiling of the first-ever C-Type tank marks the continuous improvement of Hengli Heavy Industries’ independent manufacturing capabilities for core ultra-large components—tanks, engines, and shafts—as well as the ongoing upgrading of its modern industrial system.
Currently, Hengli Heavy Industries has the capacity to produce more than 100 sets of ultra-large fuel tanks and liquid cargo tanks annually, as well as 300 marine engines per year, covering a full range of four types of dual-fuel engines for LNG, LPG, methanol, and ammonia.