Essberger christens LNG dual-fuel chemical tanker duo

German shipowner John T. Essberger Group has held a christening ceremony for two liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel chemical tankers.

As informed, the event took place on June 21, 2024. The two newest vessels, stainless steel dual-fuel chemical tankers, were named Eberhart Essberger and Heinrich Essberger.

During the ceremony, John T. Essberger also marked its 100th anniversary in the chemical tanker shipping industry.

The tankers are the third and fourth ship in a series of four newbuilds built in China. In 2021, the shipping company ordered four ships at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard. The contract includes options for four more units.

Liselotte Essberge, the first ship in this series, was christened in December 2023. The ceremony was held at the Altona cruise terminal in the Port of Hamburg.

All vessels will have dual-fuel LNG propulsion and a certified Finnish/Swedish 1A ice class. German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions was contracted to deliver integrated HyProp ECO propulsion solutions for the vessels.

According to the company, the new vessels will be optimized in terms of hull design and equipment, resulting in a significantly improved energy efficiency of at least 30% and the ability to use shore power connections during cargo operations.