Japan's Eneos Ocean Corp has returned to Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) for a 86,700-cbm LPG and liquefied ammonia gas (LAG) ship to be delivered in 2023.
The energy giant ordered the vessel against a charter to sister company Eneos Globe.
The newbuilding is the second LPG/LAG vessel that Eneos Ocean has placed at KHI this year. Last month, it ordered a VLGC — also due for 2023 delivery — against a charter from Japan Gas Energy Group.
Eneos Ocean did not disclose further charter details.
KHI said the ship will be equipped with separate cargo tanks designed to carry LPG and LAG.
"The advantage of this dual-purpose vessel is its capability to simultaneously carry LPG, which is already used as a low-carbon energy source, and LAG, a new fuel contributing to the establishment of a decarbonised society," said KHI.
The VLGC also features larger cargo tank capacity as compared with conventional carriers, which was achieved without significantly changing the vessel’s dimensions or specifications.
KHI said the VLGC will be built to comply with the International Maritime Organization's Phase 3 standards of the Energy Efficiency Design Index and SOx emissions goals.
KHI said the Eneos contract was the third LPG/LAG newbuilding that it has bagged. K Line was the first company to sign up for the ship-type in August.
The latest contract with KHI brings to four the total number of VLGC newbuildings Eneos has booked this year. In March, it commissioned Hyundai Heavy Industries to build two 91,000-cbm vessels to be delivered in late 2022 or early 2023. The company was reported to be paying about $80m per ship.
French oil major Total and Dubai-based BGN International were reported to have chartered the duo for three to five years.
Eneos is also due to take delivery of one VLGC newbuilding from HHI in 2023. It has chartered the 86,000-cbm gas carrier from Japanese tonnage provider Nissen Kaiun for at least 10 years.
Eneos has a fleet of 52 ships comprising 14 VLGCs, 12 VLCCs, 15 chemical tankers, one MR tanker and 10 bulk carriers.
