Recently, Wuhu Shipyard Co.,Ltd, (Wuhu Shipyard) a subsidiary of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, and Seacon Shipping Group Holdings Limited (Seacon Shipping Group) signed a contract for the construction of one 18,500 dwt methanol reserved green chemical tanker and a strategic cooperation agreement.
Under the agreement, Wuhu Shipyard will build a 18,500 dwt methanol reserved green chemical tanker for Seacon Shipping Group, which is another masterpiece of Wuhu Shipyard in the field of green and intelligent chemical tanker, and also the explosive tanker launched by Wuhu Shipyard to the market.
As previously reported, on March 15, Seacon Shipping Group released the announcement of “Acquisition of Vessels in a Discloseable Transaction” in which it proposed that Seacon Shipping Pte. Ltd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Seacon Shipping Group, entered into a shipbuilding contract with Wuhu Shipyard for an 18,500 dwt tanker/chemical tanker, which is scheduled to be delivered by no later than December 31, 2025, with a value of 30.1 million dollars.
This series of green chemical tanker measures 149.80m in length, 22.80m in breadth, 12.70m in depth, 8.50m in design draught with 18,500 tons DWT and 21,000m³ cargo capacity. Adopting methanol dual-fuel reserved design concept, it meets IMO Tier III emission standards and can be modified and upgraded to run on clean energy methanol fuel in the future, which provides a carbon neutral solution for the customer.
The 18,500 dwt chemical tanker is also designed to transport IMO Type II chemicals, including methanol and various biofuels, which is a vivid embodiment of the new demand for shipowners’ capacity and new low-carbon approach, and also another breakthrough in the greening and intelligentization of the shipping industry.
According to Clarkson data, by the end of 2023, Wuhu Shipyard holds the world’s largest order book for small and medium-sized chemical tankers.
The first 22,000 dwt LNG dual-fuel diesel-electric hybrid-propulsion chemical tanker won Europe’s “Tanker of the Year 2021” award, and the second won the title of “China’s top 10 innovative products in the shipbuilding industry” in 2022. In December 2023, the series of ship re-buildings started again. In the same year, the 21,500 dwt dual-fuel asphalt/product tanker won the Singapore Green Initiative Award.