Sixth VLEC joins MISC fleet

South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries has handed over the sixth very large ethane carrier to Malaysian shipping firm MISC.

Seri Elbert is the last vessel in a series of six contracted sister VLECs, purpose-built for long-term charter to China’s Zhejiang Satellite Petrochemical (STL).

“These VLECs signify MISC’s entry into China and its position as the largest operator of VLECs in the niche and growing market of moving ethane globally,” the firm said.

All of the vessels will transport ethane from US to China to support STL’s ethane cracker facility.

In addition, MISC’s unit Eaglestar Shipmanagement Gas manages the six carriers.

Sixth VLEC joins MISC fleet
Seri Everest (Image: MISC)

With more than 98,000 cbm of capacity, the ships have a reliquefaction unit and a high-pressure ethane fuel supply system.

Furthermore, the vessel’s propulsion includes a MAN B&W gas injection ethane engine, complemented with a pump vaporiser unit.

Built with a containment system for dual cargo loading, the ships also feature ABS LNG-ready notation.

This means the VLECs can be upgraded to trade liquefied natural gas cargoes in the future, according to MISC.

The Malaysian shipping firm owned by energy giant Petronas is already one of the largest operators of LNG carriers. The firm operates a fleet of 29 LNG carriers and two floating storage units.

Most Popular

Fluxys awards Zeebrugge LNG gig to Sacyr Proyecta

Belgium's Fluxys has awarded a new contract to Spain's Sacyr Proyecta for services at its LNG terminal in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

Rotterdam LNG bunkering volumes climb in H1

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering volumes in the Dutch port of Rotterdam rose in the first half of this year compared to last year, despite a drop in second-quarter volumes.

China’s gas imports up in June

China's natural gas imports, including pipeline gas and LNG, rose by 1.1 percent last month compared to June 2024, according to customs data.

More News Like This

Excelerate’s FSRU launched in South Korea

South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has launched Excelerate Energy’s new floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).

QatarEnergy LNG carrier wraps up trials in China

A 174,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, built as part of QatarEnergy's massive shipbuilding program, has completed its trials in China, according to Hudong-Zhonghua.

Knutsen, Shell name ninth LNG newbuild

Norwegian shipowner Knutsen and UK-based energy giant Shell have named the ninth and final LNG carrier in a series of 174,000-cbm vessels.

HD Hyundai Heavy tests BOG system on LNG-powered containership under construction

South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy has completed a test to verify the onshore recycling of boil-off gas (BOG) from an LNG dual-fuel container vessel currently under construction.