On May 8, Jiangnan Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), officially named and delivered the 100,000m³ ultra-large liquefied ethane carrier “PACIFIC DUBHE,” built for Pacific Gas, a subsidiary of Shandong Marine Energy under the Shandong Marine Group.
This vessel, the first of its kind in Wanhua Chemical’s fleet, meets the world’s most stringent environmental standards while offering exceptional operational efficiency. Developed and built independently by Jiangnan Shipyard, this VLEC features the BrillianceE® Type B cargo containment system—a proprietary innovation from Jiangnan—and boasts the world’s largest cargo capacity. Its comprehensive technical specifications have been certified as world-class.
With an overall length of 230 meters, the vessel is designed to transport a variety of liquefied industrial and energy gases, including ethane, ethylene, and LPG. It is the ideal vessel type, specifically tailored for long-distance ethane transport in the United States, while also offering broad compatibility with major LPG terminals worldwide.
This vessel type offers significant economic benefits, including low fuel (and gas) consumption, a low bulk oil ratio (BOR) thanks to its independently developed Type B cargo containment system (BrillianceE®), no liquid-level loading restrictions, and low maintenance costs.
According to reports, the project plans to build a total of seven VLECs. It serves as an innovative model of collaboration between Shandong Marine Energy and Wanhua Chemical, which have integrated upstream and downstream industrial resources within the province and adopted a customized long-term time charter model to closely align with the long-term demand for ethane import, storage, and transportation, thereby jointly creating a distinctive “Shandong Shipping + Shandong Terminal” cooperation model.
The delivery of the vessel marks a landmark achievement for Shandong Marine Group in actively practicing the principles of domestic shipbuilding for domestic use, domestic cargo carried by national fleets, and provincial cargo transported by provincial shipping capacity. It also serves as a vivid demonstration of provincial State-owned enterprises focusing on their core businesses, serving the national overall energy development strategy, and safeguarding the security and stability of industrial and supply chains.
Upon commissioning, the vessel will provide ethane transportation services for Wanhua Chemical, further highlighting the mission commitment and solid strength of provincial State-owned enterprises in ocean shipping and the chemical industry.
