Belgium-based shipping group Exmar has taken delivery of an 88,000 cbm LPG carrier Flanders Innovation from Chinese Jiangnan Shipyard.
According to Exmar, the newbuild is the first-ordered and largest dual-fuel LPG carrier in the world. With a deadweight tonnage of 55,100 tons, it features a length of 230 meters and a width of 36.6 meters.
One of the ship’s main features is that it is powered with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
As the first of two new very large gas carriers (VLGCs) , Flander Innovation features an advanced ship design and complies with IMO rules and regulations.
Despite all challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic, the project has been successfully completed, Exmar pointed out.
“Successfully completing a project of this size under current challenging circumstances is a testimony to our crew’s perseverance,” Francis Mottrie , Chief Executive Officer at Exmar, commented.
In addition to its size, the vessel’s dual-fuelled LPG engines will greatly reduce CO2 emissions by about 38% compared to the IMO reference lines for VLGCs, the company claims.
During the construction and the design of the vessel, special attention has been given to energy efficiency and minimising environmental impact, adding several eco-friendly class notation features and selecting equipment with power saving in mind.
The vessel will enter a 5-year charter to Equinor ASA and is financed through a sale-lease-back scheme with the Japanese shipping group Doun Kisen.
This will also be the case with Flanders Innovation’s sister vessel, delivering later this summer.