Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) received an order from Astomos Energy Corporation for a very large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier. The newly ordered carrier is scheduled to be completed and delivered in the second half of 2015.
The LPG carrier is to be built at MHI’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and will measure 230m in length overall (LOA), 36.6m in width and 11.1m in draft, with a gross tonnage of 48,300t and deadweight tonnage of 51,100t. The ship will have a capacity to carry up to 83,000m3 of LPG. The adoption of MHI’s unique hull design and other features provide the carrier with superlative fuel efficiency and outstanding adaptability to the connecting conditions of LPG terminals.
Astomos Energy presently operates 23 large-scale LPG carriers. All six vessels owned by the company were constructed by MHI; of the remaining 17 time-chartered vessels, eleven were built by MHI. Today Astomos Energy is pursuing a medium-term business plan to expand its LPG transport structure, targeting an increase in gross LPG handling volume from the current 10 million tons per year (mtpy) to 12mtpy in 2015. The order newly placed to MHI is an integral part of that initiative.
