Wärtsilä systems picked for five 99,000 cbm VLEC newbuilds

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has been selected to supply cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems for five new very large ethane carriers (VLECs) being built in China.

The order has been placed by Jiangnan Shipyard, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), where the ships are being built for an undisclosed Chinese owner.

The order follows a similar one for cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems placed by the yard in 2023 for four VLECs.

As informed, the five new 99,000 cbm VLECs are mainly designed to transport ethane and will use ethane as fuel.

As part of the delivery scope, Wärtsilä will also provide basic and detailed engineering services, along with supervision and commissioning at the yard. Delivery of the Wärtsilä equipment will commence in Q3 2026.

Three years ago, Jiangnan Shipyard launched Pacific Ineos Belstaff, described as the world’s first IMO Type B VLEC. Owned by Pacific Gas (Hong Kong), the 99,000 cbm dual-fuel vessel is designed for long-haul ethane transportation but can also handle other liquified gas cargoes such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and ethylene.