Former gas shipowner Jacques de Chateauvieux has re-emerged in the industry as he signed an initial deal with China's Jiangnan Shipyard for up to four of a new type of very large green ammonia carrier.
Jiangnan said on Friday that it has inked a memorandum of cooperation with de Chateauvieux's investment company JS & Co for two ammonia-fuelled, 93,000-cbm vessels, plus an option for two more.
They have been described as very large integral green ammonia carriers (VLACs).
The deal was signed by de Chateauvieux, Jiangnan vice president Lin Qingshan and his counterpart at China Shipbuilding Trading Co, Wu Aijun, in the presence of other representatives from the companies and the Chinese arm of French classification society Bureau Veritas.
Biggest?
The vessel will be the world's largest ammonia carriers, the shipbuilder said. The deal comes after an arm of Mitsui OSK Lines signed up in August to build an 87,000-cbm ammonia carrier at Namura Shipbuilding in Japan.
"The vessel will be used to transport liquid ammonia from the many new green ammonia projects under development around the world, including the one JS & Co will be promoting, to supply the need of Europe and north-east Asia from 2025," Jiangnan said of the VLACs.
The Shanghai-based shipbuilder highlighted that it had completed a Hazard Identification (HAZID) and launched an ammonia fuel-ready VLGC in 2020.
"Ammonia is considered to be one of the most promising alternative fuels to achieve the goal of zero-carbon shipping," the yard said.
"As zero-carbon energy, ammonia fuel can meet more stringent greenhouse gas emission requirements and enable ships to meet the ultimate goal of 2050. As the demand for ammonia fuel is expected to expand, the demand for ammonia carriers will also increase."
In September, de Chateauvieux stepped away from his remaining shipping interests when he resigned as chairman and chief executive of debt-laden Jaccar Holdings and all its subsidiaries, including Danish gas shipowner Evergas.
Jaccar brought in a new chairman and chief executive Philippe Soulie, who said at the time that under one restructuring scenario for the group would have allowed de Chateauvieux to stay on and see it through, but the French businessman preferred to move on instead.
