Mitsubishi Shipbuilding christens Mitsui’s LNG carrier newbuild

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), christened Marvel Crane, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier under construction for Mitsui & Co.

Mitsubishi said on Friday that the completion is scheduled for March 2019, after which the Marvel Crane will be put into service, transporting LNG for the Cameron LNG project in the US.

The Marvel Crane is the first of two LNG carriers of the same design being constructed for Mitsui, with a total tank holding capacity of 177,000 cubic meters.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding received the order for the vessel through MI LNG, a joint venture for the design and sale of LNG carriers established by MHI and Imabari Shipbuilding.

Construction was managed by MHI Marine Structure while the launch took place on August 3, 2018.

The vessel is equipped with a modified version of the Moss spherical tank, an apple-shaped tank with a protruding upper half.

According to the company, the tank design expands the ship’s LNG carrying capacity without increasing its width, allowing it to pass through the new Panama Canal. The propulsion system is a hybrid two-shaft steam turbine and gas engine system.