China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC) has delivered the first LNG bunkering vessel to compatriot independent gas distributor ENN.
DSIC delivered the 8500-cbm Xin Ao Pu Tuo Hao on September 16, according to China Classification Society (CCS).
ENN ordered this vessel back in 2018. It had planned to start using the vessel in 2020 but the project had been delayed.
Designed by China Ship Design & Research Center, the vessel features two type C tanks and Wartsila propulsion.
The Finnish tech firm said in June 2019 it had won the order to supply the vessel’s cargo handling system, the 34DF dual-fuel main engine, and two 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines.
CCS said in a statement on Monday this is the first domestic newbuilding LNG bunkering vessel classified into CCS.
Also, the ship has an overall length of about 119.3 meters, a width of 19.8 meters, and a depth of 11 meters, according to CCS.
Tianjin Southwest Maritime would operate the vessel owned by ENN Energy Holding, CCS said.
ENN previously revealed that the vessel would work from its 5 mtpa Zhoushan LNG terminal in China’s eastern Zhejiang province.
This is not China’s first LNG bunkering vessel. This year the world’s largest LNG bunkering vessel, Hai Gang Wei Lai, started fueling vessels for Shanghai SIPG Energy Service (SSES), a unit of SIPG and Shenergy.
Besides these vessels, Hudong-Zhonghua recently won a contract to to build one LNG bunkering and supply ship that will work along the giant Yangtze river, while CIMC SOE will build a large LNG bunkering vessel for energy giant CNOOC.