A very large gas carrier (VLGC) with a capacity of 88,000 cbm has been named and delivered at Cosco Shipping (Qidong) Offshore Co., Ltd, according to China Classification Society (CCS), which surveyed the vessel.

Chang Ping Yuan is, according to CCS, the first domestically designed and built VLGC to operate under the Chinese flag. Ju Liqiang, general manager of CCS’s International Survey Business Department, attended the naming ceremony alongside officials from the CCS Jiangsu Branch.

The vessel has an overall length of 229.9 metres and a design speed of 16.5 knots. It is fitted with four independent Type A cargo tanks and two 300 cbm deck tanks. According to CCS, the ship’s plumb-stem design, combined with energy-saving ducts and a rudder bulb, is intended to improve sailing performance.

The VLGC is equipped with an LPG dual-fuel main engine and a shaft generator, which CCS said allow it to meet emissions regulations while maintaining operational economy. The vessel is also fitted with an intelligent ship system and complies with the CCS intelligent ship notation i-ship (N, M, E, I).

CCS said the ship is designed to be compatible with ammonia cargo transport, opening up prospects for the waterborne carriage of low-carbon fuels.

The classification society noted that it provided technical support throughout the project, from initial model approval through to detailed design review, organising expert workshops and technical discussions with the shipowner and shipyard. During construction, CCS said its on-site survey team worked with the shipowner and shipyard to oversee vessel quality and navigational safety compliance.