HGK Shipping has officially put into service its new gas tanker “GAS 96” following a naming ceremony in Rotterdam, the company said in a statement.
The vessel is the company’s third gas tanker designed for enhanced performance in shallow waters and equipped with a diesel-electric “future-fuel-ready” drive system.
The “GAS 96” will begin operations immediately along Rhine routes between Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Cologne, transporting pressurised liquefied gases for LyondellBasell (LYB) under a long-term charter agreement.
The tanker features four tanks with a total cargo capacity of 3,256 cubic metres and measures 110 metres in length and 15 metres in width.
Developed at HGK Shipping’s Design Center, the vessel is built to operate reliably under varying water level conditions. Its advanced rudder propellers enable safe manoeuvring even when the draught is only 1.20 metres, allowing it to carry more than 300 tonnes in such conditions.
Under ideal water levels, the tanker can transport more than 2,500 tonnes.
The hull was built at Severnav in Romania, and the superstructure was completed at De Gerlien van Tiem in the Netherlands.
HGK Shipping GmbH is part of Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG (HGK), a logistics company owned by the City of Cologne’s public utilities group. HGK operates Europe’s largest inland waterway shipping company with a fleet of around 350 vessels. The group manages the largest inland port network in Germany and operates in sectors including rail, intermodal logistics, infrastructure, and real estate.
LyondellBasell Industries N.V. is a multinational chemical company headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It is one of the world’s largest producers of polymers and a major supplier of chemicals and fuels, focusing on sustainable production and circular economy initiatives.
