Hong Kong-based Tiger Gas, led by former Seaspan CEO Gerry Wang, has welcomed the first out of four LNG ISO tank carriers in its fleet.
China’s Yangzijiang Shipbuilding handed over the first vessel in this batch, Tiger Longkou, to the owner on Thursday, according to a statement.
The shipbuilder said in November it had expected to deliver this world’s largest LNG tank carrier by the end of December, four months ahead of the previously planned delivery in April 2022.
CCS-classed Tiger Longkou completed both its sea and gas trials last month while its sister vessel, Tiger Maanshan, hit the water for the first time on November 5. Yangziang should deliver this vessel in 2022 as well.
Tiger Gas first ordered two of these vessels in June 2020 and after that confirmed two more options in December.
The 192 meters long vessels have LNG dual-fuel engines and also feature type C tanks. CSSC Hudong Heavy Machinery provides the engines and the fuel gas supply system (FGSS), according to Yangzijiang.
Yangzijiang said the ships would operate at a speed of 16 knots and while sailing on LNG would have a range of up to 5,000 nautical miles.
All of the ships will be capable of transporting ISO tanks in both deep sea and inland waters such as the Yangtze River.
They will have a capacity to carry 690 40ft LNG ISO tanks or about 15,000 tons of LNG.
Tiger Gas will use these vessels to mainly transport ISO tanks from Malaysia to China.
Malaysia’s Petronas has earlier this year started exporting LNG to China in ISO tanks, as part of a deal with Tiger Clean Energy, a unit of Tiger Gas.