EMEA News
New Very Large Ethane Carriers "a Real Breakthrough for the Industry"
Classification association DNV GL said Friday it has co-signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to usher in a new series of five 85,000cbm (85k) capacity 'very large ethane carriers' (VLECs).
The LOI formalises the coming together of Hartmann Shiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG, HB Hunte Engineering and Jaccar Holdings to build the new series of 'ECO STAR 85k' vessels.
"These vessels will be the largest ethane carriers yet constructed, but it is not only the size, but the technical innovations present in this design that will make these ships a real breakthrough for the industry," said Torsten Schramm, DNV GL Maritime's COO for Division Germany, Middle East & Asia.
"Such highly specialised vessels require a very strong technical partnership and we are looking forward to working together with Jaccar, Hartmann and HB Hunte to bring this project to a successful conclusion."
No timetable for completion was announced.
The new vessels are said to utilise a novel design in cargo tanks, called Star-Tri-Lobe tanks, which allow for an additional 30% cargo space versus similar sized ships with conventional tanks.
DNV GL expects this to reduce overall shipping costs through improved economies of scale.
VLEC construction is likely to develop apace as companies compete to exploit a plentiful supply of U.S. ethane.
