The first in a series of 27,500 cbm ‘Dragon’ class vessels ordered by Evergas, owner and operator of seaborne petrochemical and liquid gas transport vessels, is being delivered from the Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (SOE) shipyard in China today.
The ‘Dragon’ class ships are to be chartered by INEOS Europe for the transportation of ethane to Europe from the Mariner East project in the USA.
The carriers are purpose built for the transportation of ethane, although they in addition can carry a wide range of petrochemical gases and LPG.
“The delivery of the first in this series of the Dragon class vessels marks the beginning of a new era in the transportation of liquefied gases. The highly advanced technological solutions that Wärtsilä provides makes these ships the most modern and environmentally sustainable gas carriers ever built, ” says Steffen Jacobsen, CEO of Evergas .
The vessel features a comprehensive Wärtsilä solutions package, including two Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines, Wärtsilä propulsion equipment including the gearbox, two Wärtsilä 20DF auxiliary generating sets, a Wärtsilä LNG fuel system and a Wärtsilä cargo handling system. The various systems are fully integrated to achieve maximum efficiencies. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in the beginning of 2013.
The Dragon class vessels are 180 metres long and 26.6 metres wide with a draft of approximately 9 metres. They represent the largest ethane carriers in their class in the world.