MHI to Build 83,000 cu.m LPG Carrier for Astomos Energy

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has received an order for a very large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier able to navigate the Panama Canal from Astomos Energy Corp.

The vessel is to feature MHI's world-class energy efficiency and outstanding versatility enabling it to flexibly accommodate the requirements of major LPG terminals. Completion and delivery are scheduled for the second half of 2015.

The LPG carrier is to be built at MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and will measure 230.0 meters (m) in length overall (LOA), 36.6m in width and 11.1m in draft, with gross tonnage of 48,300 tons (t) and deadweight tonnage of 51,100t. The ship will have a capacity to carry up to 83,000 cubic meters (m3) of LPG.

With the unfurling of the "shale gas revolution" in the United States, demand to transport LPG produced in North America is projected to increase in the global market, including East Asia. In tandem with market expansion, a trend is also under way toward longer transport distances. MHI's LPG carrier ordered by Astomos Energy can accommodate these dual needs, augmented by its specifications enabling passage through the newly expanding Panama Canal. 



The shipbuilder says that the adoption of MHI's unique hull design and other features provide the carrier with superlative fuel efficiency and outstanding adaptability to the connecting conditions of LPG terminals.