Pan Asia, the first of four 174,000 cbm Tri-Fuel Diesel Electric (TFDE) liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier newbuildings to be constructed by Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, has completed sea trials off the coast of Shanghai in the East China Sea.
The vessels are owned by a joint venture involving China National Offshore Oil Corporation, China LNG Group, BW Group and Teekay.
Scheduled for delivery between September 2017 and January 2019, each of the ships will operate under a 20-year time charter contract, plus extension options, with Methane Services Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shell, according to Teekay.
Pan Asia’s steel cutting ceremony took place on April 6, 2015, and the ship was launched on April 15, 2016. The other three newbuildings, Pan Americas, Pan Europe and Pan Africa, are currently under construction at the yard.
The completion of the sea trials of Pan Asia marks a “significant milestone” in this project, with gas trials soon approaching at the end of July, as explained by Teekay.
“The vessel performance exceeded expectations from a maneuverability, speed and vibration point of view,” Teekay said.
Image Courtesy: Teekay