Jiangnan Shipyard and China Shipbuilding Trading Co. Ltd (CSTC) have started construction of the first Very Large Ammonia Carrier (VLAC) ordered by Jaldhi Overseas Pte.
The vessel is based on Jiangnan Shipyard’s independently developed Panda 93A design and will measure 230 m in length. It is equipped with an LPG dual-fuel main engine and is designed to transport ammonia cargoes as well as liquefied petroleum gases, including propane and butane.
Originally developed as a 93,000 cbm VLAC, the design has been upgraded to a cargo capacity of 95,000 cbm through the addition of two 1,000 cbm deck tanks.
According to data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform, 168 LPG-fuelled vessels are currently in operation worldwide, while 34 additional vessels are on order. The LPG-fuelled fleet orderbook is projected to reach 148 vessels by 2030.
Within this segment, 10 LPG and ammonia carriers are currently in service, with a further 68 vessels on order.
Jiangnan Shipyard said the vessel is currently the world’s largest ammonia carrier and has been developed to support increasing demand for long-distance transportation of green ammonia.
