Wärtsilä Designs Cargo Handling System for VLEC Newbuilds

Finnish vessel technology company Wärtsilä said it has been awarded a contract for the supply of cargo handling and fuel supply system for two new 98,000 cbm very large ethane carriers (VLEC) being built at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in South Korea, with an option for a third vessel.

The order, placed in September 2020, follows a similar contract awarded in 2019 for three VLECs, also under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries.

The ships will also feature Wärtsilä’s tailormade and highly efficient reliquefaction unit and a unique high-pressure ethane fuel supply system. The entire system will also feature Wärtsilä’s latest version of the inhouse developed remote monitoring and diagnosis tool Operim.

“The ships will operate on ethane fuel, so the design of the cargo handling system is very specialized,” said Kjell Ove Ulstein, Sales and Marketing Director in Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.