Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has secured an order from Astomos Energy to construct a new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier.
The order is part of Astomos Energy’s medium-term business plan to expand its LPG transport structure and increase gross LPG handling volume from the current 10 million tonnes a year to 12 million tonnes a year, by 2015.
The new vessel will be constructed at MHI’s Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works and will be similar to the one MHI supplied to Astomos Energy in 2013.
The LPG carrier will be 230m long, 36.6m wide and 11.1m in draft, with gross weight of 48,300t and 51,100 deadweight tonnes.
In addition to being fuel efficient, the new vessel will feature MHI’s unique hull design and will be able to operate in the diverse conditions of the world’s LPG terminals.
The vessel will also be equipped with advanced systems such as mooring arrangement, which will allow it to pass through the newly expanding Panama Canal.
The vessel will have the capacity to carry up to 83,000m³ of LPG.
The new carrier will replace an old vessel owned by Astomos Energy, which currently operates 23 LPG carriers. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2016.
