On June 4, Jiangnan Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), launched the second-generation “BrilliancE® II” type-B tank containment system and “PnFCOMBi” insulation system at the Greek International Maritime Exhibition Posidonia 2024.
At the same time, the world’s largest and the world’s first ULEC (ultra Large Ethane Carrier) of 150,000 m³ developed by the company, which is equipped with the second-generation BrilliancE® II type-B tanks, was also awarded the Approval-in-Principle (AiP) certificate by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
According to the family tree of Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s vessel brand, the 150,000 m³ ULEC will be named “Panda 150E”. The “BrilliancE® II” type-B tank containment system is a lightweight design that meets the draught requirements of U.S. waters.
The research and development of this ULEC has gathered Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s rich experience of more than 20 years in full-cooled liquefied gas carriers, broken through a series of key technological bottlenecks, and formed a completely independent intellectual property right of the type-B tank low-temperature containment system (BrilliancE®), which has been successfully applied to the world’s largest and the world’s first ultra-large full-cooled ethane carrier, and the technical indexes have reached the leading level in the world.
In December 2021, PACIFIC INEOS BELSTAFF, the world’s largest and the world’s first 99,000 m³ VLEC with type-B tank, was delivered.
In May 2022, the 99,000 m³ VLEC “PACIFIC INEOS GRENADIER” was delivered.
In September 2022, the 99,000 m³ VLEC “GAS BLUEBONNET” was delivered.
In December 2022, the 99,000 m³ VLEC “GAS MAGNOLIA” was delivered.
In February 2024, the 99,000 m³ VLEC “PACIFIC SP MINERVA” was delivered.
In April 2024, the 99,000 m³ VLEC “GAS CHANGJIANG” was delivered.
It is understood that Jiangnan Shipbuilding launched the first generation of self-developed “BrilliancE®” type-B tank containment system in 2019 and obtained ABS certification. At the end of the same year, Jiangnan Shipbuilding secured the first orders for 99,000 m3 Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLEC) with “BrilliancE®” type-B tank containment system. The first-built VLEC of this series was delivered at the end of 2021. So far, Jiangnan Shipbuilding has delivered 6 VLECs in this type, and the handheld orders for VLECs amounted to 30.
“BrilliancE® type-B tank containment system has the advantages of good hull line matching, no shaking damage, no loading limitation, maintenance free and easy to repair, long fatigue design life of the tanks, and short construction period. After delivery, the tank has received favorable comments from shipowners and cargo owners for its excellent performance, reliable system and good safety.
Jiangnan Shipbuilding research team did not stop there, they derived the core technology of the “BrilliancE®” type-B tank containmente system to ULEC, large and medium-sized liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and LNG fuel tank containment systems, so that Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s type-B tank containment system lineage, and cover the entire LNG carriers series.
Also, Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s self-developed and patented insulation system “PnFCOMBi” has been awarded AiP certificate by ABS. The insulation system can be used in the low-temperature containment system of type-B tanks with a temperature range up to -163 degrees Celsius, and can be applied to the containment system of ethane carriers, LNG carriers and LNG fuel tanks.