Chinese shipbuilder Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE) recently signed a letter of intent to construct 1+1 12,000 cbm liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport bunkering vessels for compatriot firm Fuzhou Wuyang Refined Oil Trading (Wuyang Tanker).
The dual-purpose newbuild(s) will feature two IMO Type C cargo tanks, with a single tank capacity of about 6,000 cubic meters.
The ships will also have a shallow draft design and a bow thruster to enable flexible control in narrow inland waterways.
What is more, the vessels will have an ice class B, a DP2 system, a full-load speed of about 13 knots and a projected service life of 30 years.
Equipped with an ‘advanced’ electric propulsion system, the vessels will be capable of performing both LNG transportation and refueling operations . They will be able to undertake ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore refueling, reverse transfer /replenishment services, and provide full-process professional services such as pre-delivery inerting, cold cabins, and gas testing for large LNG-powered ships.
Once completed, the ships will mainly undertake tasks such as domestic and international transportation, refueling LNG-powered ships in coastal areas, and LNG transshipment at inland river refueling stations and Yangtze River transit stations.
It is expected that the successful construction and operation of the ships will promote the application of clean and low-carbon energy in the domestic and foreign shipping industry and contribute to the development of a new sustainable shipping market. The collaboration between the shipbuilder and the transportation company is also said to be in line with China’s ‘Carbon Peak and Neutrality’ goals.
In related news, CIMC SOE delivered in late October 2024 the second of three 7,600 cbm LNG bunker vessels, Seaspan Lions, to Canadian shipowner Seaspan. The ship is set to provide LNG fueling services to vessels on the North American West Coast.