Photo: Screenshot from a report by China Media Group

China's first 88,000 cubic meter very large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, named Chang Ping Yuan, was officially completed and named, marking a new breakthrough in China's independent design and construction of very large LNG carriers, China Media Group (CMG) reported on Tuesday.

As another landmark achievement in China's high-end shipbuilding sector, the vessel has broken the long-standing technological monopoly of overseas competitors in the design and construction of same-class very large LNG carriers, and has laid a solid technical foundation for the independent construction of China's large-scale clean energy transport fleet, the report said. 

The vessel measures approximately 230 meters in length overall. During construction, domestically developed advanced low-temperature welding technology was applied, achieving technological self-reliance in core construction processes. 

Equipped with a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dual-fuel main engine and shaft generator, it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 20 percent, and sulfur oxides and particulate matter emissions by about 90 percent compared with fuel-oil mode, meeting internationally leading environmental standards. It is the largest-capacity very large LNG carrier capable of transiting both the old and new locks of the Panama Canal, according to the CMG report. 

In addition, the vessel features multi-cargo capability, capable of transporting nine types of liquefied gas including LPG and ammonia, precisely matching the future incremental demand in the global ammonia shipping market.

On August 26, the 100,000‑cubic‑meter very large ethane carrier Pacific Merak, built by Jiangnan Shipyard, was delivered at the Jiangnan Shipbuilding dock on Changxing Island, Shanghai. With an overall length of 230 meters, the ship is the world's largest‑capacity ethane carrier, capable of carrying nearly 100,000 cubic meters of ethane in a single voyage, local media outlet the Shanghai Observer reported

Global Times