Shipyard Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding Co Ltd recently undertook the construction of three of the world's largest 99,000-cubic meter capacity very large ethane carriers, or VLECs.
They'll be used for the transportation of goods by SP Chemicals (Taixing) Co Ltd – with the shipyard and the shipping line both located in Taixing city, in East China's Jiangsu province.
The total order amount is an estimated $480 million.
The major order is said by industry insiders to show that Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding has emerged as the premier private shipyard nationwide to enter the VLEC construction market.
It is also the first time SP Chemicals (Taixing) Co Ltd has placed an order for VLECs, switching from previous leasing to vessel ownership.
Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding Co Ltd builds and designs ultra-large transport ships such as container ships, dual-fuel power ships, as well as bulk carriers and iron ore carriers. It also manufactures marine engineering equipment and large steel structural components.
As of the end of March, the company had an order book of 35 ships, with a total contract amount of $6.31 billion.
Located in the Taixing Economic Development Zone, SP Chemicals (Taixing) Co Ltd mainly produces chemical products such as caustic soda, liquid chlorine and hydrogen gas. Its products are widely used in petrochemicals, textiles and consumer goods.
A VLEC built by shipyard Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding Co Ltd. [Photo/WeChat account: txfabu]