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Classification society Bureau Veritas is classing the first ethane-powered ship. JS Ineos Insight is the first of a series of eight 27,500-cubic-metre (cbm) multi-gas Dragon-class vessels being built at Sinopacific, China, for Denmark's Evergas.

The vessel was named on July 14 and is configured for the transportation of ethane, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). It has options for the use of ethane, LNG and conventional diesel power.

Martial Claudepierre, Business Development Manager, Bureau Veritas, remarked: "The ability to burn ethane as well as LNG to power these unique vessels is a major step forward in the use of clean fuels. It means the vessels can use cargo gas during transits to provide a clean and clear commercial and environmental advantage. We have worked with Evergas and the Danish Maritime Authority to verify and ensure that the use of ethane is at least as safe as required by the IGC [Industrial Gases Council] and will not impair the engine compliance with MARPOL Annex VI."

The Dragon vessels were originally designed with dual-fuel LNG/diesel power utilising two 1,000-cbm LNG tanks on deck powering two Wärtsilä 6L20 DF main engines with a total power of 2,112 kilowatts (kW) and two shaft generators with 3,600 kW of total power. The ability to also burn ethane was added to allow the use of the cargo gas, as the vessels are to be used initially for the transport of ethane from the US to the UK Ineos refineries.

Claudepierre said: "Using ethane required extra engine room ventilation and additional gas detection, plus modifications to the main engines including a lower compression ratio, different turbocharger nozzles and de-rating of the engine to cope with the lower knocking resistance of ethane. But the gains in not carrying an additional fuel and in environmental performance from being able to burn clean fuel throughout the voyage are significant."

Evergas is a Danish company, wholly owned by Greenship Gas and JACCAR Holdings. It specializes in the seaborne transportation of petrochemical gas with a focus on ethane and ethylene, operating a fleet of petrochemical gas carriers. It also has a new-building programme of ethylene, ethane and LNG multi-gas carriers.