China's first 88,000 cubic-meter very large gas carrier completes construction

China's first 88,000 cubic meter very large gas carrier (VLGC), named "Chang Ping Yuan," completed construction, marking a new breakthrough in China's independent design and construction of very large gas carriers, China Media Group reported on Tuesday.

As another landmark achievement in China's high-end shipbuilding sector, the vessel has broken the long-standing technological monopoly of overseas competitors in the design and construction of same-class VLGCs, and has laid a solid technical foundation for the independent construction of China's future large-scale clean energy transport fleet, the report said.

The vessel measures approximately 230 meters in length. During construction, it applied domestically developed advanced low-temperature welding technology, achieving technological self-reliance in core construction processes.

Equipped with an LPG dual-fuel main engine and shaft generator, it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 20 percent, and sulfur oxides and particulate matter emissions by about 90 percent compared to fuel-oil mode, meeting internationally leading environmental standards. It is currently the largest-capacity VLGC capable of transiting both the old and new locks of the Panama Canal.

In addition, the vessel features multi-cargo capability, capable of transporting nine types of liquefied gas cargoes including LPG and ammonia, precisely matching the future incremental demand in the global ammonia shipping market.