Jiangnan Shipyard has used this week’s giant Gastech exhibition in Barcelona to position itself as China’s top name in LNG construction. The yard has secured three important approvals in principle (AIPs) for a variety of gas ships, adding to the wide array of gas carriers it already produces.
ABS granted Jiangnan an AIP for a new 175,000 cu m Mark III Flex LNG carrier, a design called LNG Jumbo. UK class society Lloyd’s Register also gave the yard an AIP for a new dual fuel 7,500 cu m LNG bunker vessel, while DNV GL was on hand in Barcelona to grant Jiangnan an AIP for the design of a 93,000 cu m very large ethane carrier.
On the latter award, Hu Keyi, chief engineer at Jiangnan Shipyard, commented: “We have completed China’s first Mark III / Mark III Flex model tanks and moved into the membrane-type liquefied gas carrier market. With this latest AIP, we have laid a solid foundation for introducing this ship type to the market and will further enrich our product portfolio in gas carriers and gas-fuelled ship types, which will benefit our clients and, at the same time, reduce emissions.”
Jiangnan, located to the north of Shanghai, already has an enviable gas track record. Earlier this month it won its first order for an LNG FRU. It has a notable orderbook of LNG carriers in multiple sizes, and also has LPG carriers and VLGCs among its product mix.
