The U.S. classification and technical advisory services provider, ABS, is set to class four very large ethane carriers ordered by Zhejiang Satellite Petrochemical (STL).
These 98,000-cbm ethane-fueled VLECs are part of a Phase-2 order from STL and construction will be equally split between Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries, ABD said in its statement on Thursday.
ABS was the classification society for the very first order of the six dedicated VLECs by Reliance Industries in 2014. The 87,000-cbm VLECs have been trading and laid the foundation for the next generation of larger VLECs.
The Phase-1 order of six VLECs by STL not only had more cargo capacity, 98,000 cubic meters but included additional technological advancements such as ethane-fueled engines and the ABS LNG Cargo Ready notation.
“STL is delighted to be working with ABS, drawing on its experience and legacy of leadership in the VLEC sector that will support our Lianyungang petrochemical project by safely transporting ethane from the U.S. to China” said an executive for STL.