Large Gas Carriers News

Japanese power generator JERA has signed separate heads of agreements with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and NYK Group for the charter of ammonia carriers, as it moves toward establishing Japan’s first large-scale low-carbon ammonia transport chain.Under the agreements, MOL and NYK affiliates will charter vessels designed to transport low-carbon ammonia produced at JERA’s Blue Point Complex in Louisiana to JERA’s Hekinan Thermal Power Station in central Japan. The arrangements are…

After several years of volatility, 2025 became the year the global shipping markets began to reset. Not collapse—but recalibrate.According to Veson Nautical’s 2025 End-of-Year Market Report, the past year was defined by persistent geopolitical disruption, tightening environmental regulation and growing uncertainty over future fuel pathways. Red Sea instability continued to distort global trade flows, FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS added cost and complexity, and owners across nearly every sector adopted a more cautious stance toward fleet expansion.As the industry enters 2026…

The maritime industry is charting a new course toward decarbonization, yet this time round it is not only traditional shipowners at the helm. Major energy and commodity traders, whose shipping operations often carry large carbon footprints, are now investing in cleaner and more efficient shipping. With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) calling for a 40% reduction in shipping’s carbon intensity by 2030 from 2008 levels, these players are now deploying new methods to cut emissions at sea.

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will supply the cargo handling and fuel supply systems for four new Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) being built in COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore for their owner group.The complete Wärtsilä Gas Solutions’ scope covers the engineering, material, as well as the supervision, commissioning and gas trials for the systems.Included in the materials scope are the machinery, instrumentation, electric and control system. Wärtsilä…

Solvang has a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Seatrium for the installation and retrofitting of a full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems.The retrofit on Solvang's new series of very large gas carriers (VLGCs), configured specifically for CCS, is set to begin in late 2026.In April, steel was cut for the first two of seven Panamax VLGC at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Delivery is planned for 2026 and 2027.Solvang took delivery of Clipper Eris in February 2025 – the world’s first full-scale turnkey retrofit of a 7MW CCS system, undertaken by Seatrium.

Chinese purchases of U.S. ethane, a key petrochemical feedstock, face fresh uncertainty after the Commerce Department told exporters to seek licences to export to China, according to trade sources and shipping data.Washington ordered a broad swathe of companies to stop shipping goods, including ethane and butane, to China without a licence and revoked licences already granted to some suppliers, Reuters reported on Wednesday.The move is the latest disruption in Chinese purchases of U.S. ethane, which hit a record of 492,000 barrels per day in 2024, or nearly half of U.S.

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will supply the cargo handling systems for two very large Ammonia Carrier (VLAC) vessels being built at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in Korea. The 88,000 m3 capacity vessels have been ordered by a Japanese ship owner. VLACs are similar to Very Large Gas Carriers but designed to carry full cargoes of ammonia. Since ammonia has a high specific gravity, VLAC cargo tanks and hulls need to be reinforced, and the vessels will have…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and its partners Namura Shipbuilding and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding have secured an approval in principle (AiP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for a large-size ammonia-powered ammonia carrier.The AiP was awarded for the ship’s ammonia fuel compatible design.The companies are developing the vessel in anticipation of wide use of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel and hydrogen carrier, and in response to further demand for ammonia fuel transitions in power plants.The carrier…

Greek shipowners have spent an unprecedented $18 billion on newbuild gas vessels since 2021 as companies diversify their portfolios away from traditional tanker, bulker and container asset classes according to new research by Veson Nautical's data intelligence arm VesselsValue.Approximately $13.8 billion of the figure has been spent on 59 liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels, and approximately $4 billionn on 41 liquid petroleum gas (LPG) vessels, according to the new report, ‘Greek Speculative S&P Investments’.

BW LPG on Thursday announced it has agreed to acquire 12 very large gas carriers (VLGC) from Avance Gas in a cash and stock deal valued at more than $1 billion.The deal will see Avance Gas sell off the entirety of its VLGC fleet, including four 91,000-cubic-meter (cbm) vessels built in South Korea in 2022 and 2023 and eight 83,000-cbm vessels built in China in 2015, and grows BW LPG's owned and operated VLGC fleet from from 41 to 53.According to BW LPG, this fleet expansion comes…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed a time charter contract for two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dual-fuel very large gas carriers (VLGCs) with a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, CSSA Chartering and Shipping Services (CSSA).MOL made the agreement through its subsidiary MOL Energia.The vessels will be built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in South Korea and are scheduled for delivery in 2026.The overall length of vessels is 230 meters, with brad of 32.25 meters. Their cargo tank capacity is 88…

Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), a unit of Indonesian state energy company Pertamina, has welcomed two new very large gas carriers (VLGCs) to its fleet, named Pertamina Gas Caspia and Pertamina Gas Dahlia.The new vessels are specifically optimized for transporting vital commodities like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as well as other petrochemicals such as propylene and ammonia, intended for international trade routes.Both tankers measure 300 meters in length, with a capacity of 91,000m3.

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will supply the cargo handling systems for additional two new very large LPG carrier vessels to be built at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea.The ships have been contracted by Norwegian ship owner Solvang. The order follows a similar one placed in 2023 for five vessels being built at the same yard for the same owner.The very large gas carriers (VLGCs) are of Panamax size and form the next generation of eco-vessels.

Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), a unit of Indonesian state energy company Pertamina, said on Wednesday it plans to add six new very large gas carriers (VLGC) in 2024 as it eyes fleet expansion focused on gas transport.The company this week launched two VLGCs, built by South Korea's Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, and each vessel has a 91,000 cubic metres capacity, which PIS said is among the biggest in the world.The two vessels were designed to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as well as ammonia, PIS said in a statement."We plan to add six VLGCs in 2024, starting from the two VL

Swiss marine power company WinGD has signed a memorandum of understanding with KSS Line to explore X-DF-A engines for future newbuild projects. The companies will focus on 52cm- and 62cm-bore versions of the dual-fuel ammonia engines, suitable for midsize and very large gas carriers (VLGC). The scope of the cooperation will extend beyond engine technology, also focusing on the performance and maintenance solutions necessary for using alternative fuel. The partners will also explore…

Astomos Energy, the biggest LPG distributor and trader in Japan, has chosen Maersk Tankers as voyage manager for, initially, five very large gas carriers (VLGCs).The Maersk Tankers service includes day-to-day vessel operations, fuel optimisation and claims handling. It covers full post-fixture support from the time the vessel is fixed for a voyage, through its successful execution, to the closure of the voyage books.“We are honored to commence the partnership with Maersk Tankers, not only pursuing efficient operation but also environmental goals.

United Arab Emirates' ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) has expanded its fleet with the deployment of five new-build Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC), state news agency WAM reported on Thursday.The carriers of the shipping and maritime logistics arm of state oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company each have a capacity of 86,000 cubic metres. The carriers were built at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, China, and will be owned and operated by AW Shipping, an ADNOC L&S joint venture with Wanhua Chemical Group (Wanhua), WAM added.

Pertamina International Shipping, a unit of Indonesia's state energy firm, aims to invest up to $3 billion over the next five years to rejuvenate and expand its fleet, including investing in vessels to transport liquefied natural gas, an executive said. Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) operates more than 400 vessels, including three very large crude carriers (VLCC) and two very large gas carriers (VLGC). "We will invest big in replacing vessels," Wisnu Santoso, a director at PIS told reporters on Tuesday.

MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, MAN PrimeServ, has announced the signing of a contract to retrofit two LPG carriers for Tianjin Southwest Maritime Ltd. – the Chinese liquefied-gas carrier operator. The COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Guangdong) yard will host the respective conversions of the individual MAN B&W 6G60ME-C engines aboard the ‘Gas Gemini’ and ‘Gas Aquarius’ to dual-fuel MAN B&W 6G60ME-LGIP units capable of running on LPG. The two vessels will be retrofitted in parallel, beginning May 30, 2023.PrimeServ will jointly carry out the work with CMS (CSSC Marine Service Co.

ADNOC Logistics & Services, UAE-based oil firm ADNOC's shipping and maritime logistics arm, said Thursday it would order three new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. "ADNOC L&S is the region’s largest shipping and integrated logistics company and the state-of-the-art new-build vessels will bolster the company’s capacity as it responds to the growing global demand for LNG," ADNOC L&S said.The new-build LNG vessels, each with a capacity of 175,000m3, are significantly larger than the current ADNOC L&S fleet which have a capacity of 137,000m3 each.

ADNOC Logistics & Services, the shipping and maritime logistics arm of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has ordered two newbuild 175,000 cubic meter LNG carriers that will join its fleet in 2025. "The new LNG vessels will be crucial enablers of ADNOC’s 2030 growth strategy, supporting its existing LNG business as well as its ambitions to grow its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity. They will be built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in China," ADNOC L&S said.Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi…

Alfa Laval reports it is experiencing increased demand for solutions related to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel, having seen notable orders for the Alfa Laval FCM LPG in recent months as the marine industry focuses on decarbonization. The low-flashpoint fuel supply system (LFSS) that can work seamlessly with LPG cargo handling systems.Given its lower CO2 footprint compared to traditional marine fuels, LPG is a logical step in decarbonizing the vessels that transport it, Alfa Laval said.

Vopak Moda Houston, LLC announced that its marine terminal in the Port of Houston is fully operational. Formed in 2016, Vopak Moda Houston is a joint venture between Royal Vopak and Moda Midstream. Located in Houston’s refining and petrochemical corridor and in close proximity to multiple ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen pipelines, Vopak Moda Houston is the first greenfield terminal development in the Port of Houston in more than a decade.Designed to handle very large gas carriers (VLGC)…