Jiangnan lays keel for Exmar’s first VLGC

China’s Jiangnan Shipyard held a keel laying ceremony on Tuesday for the first of two Exmar’s very large gas carriers.

Belgium’s Exmar ordered the VLGC duo last year at the Chinese yard.

Both of the vessels will go on charter to Norwegian energy giant Equinor.

One of the main features of the 86,000-cbm carriers is that they will be powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Exmar expects to take delivery of the first of the “world’s largest super-eco VLGCs” in the second quarter of 2021.

Exmar is one of the largest independent operators of gas tankers in the world with a diversified fleet ranging from a 138,000-cbm LNG carrier down to 3,500-cbm pressurised LPG carriers.

The Belgian company’s fleet also includes ten floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) and the Tango FLNG.