Hong Kong-based shipping company Pacific Gas recently took delivery of a new very large ethane carrier (VLEC) built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Jiangnan Shipyard.
Pacific Ineos Chocolate belongs to a series of VLECs that also include the 2021-built Pacific Ineos Belstaff and the 2025-built Pacific Ineos Mio.
The newbuild has an LOA of 230 metres, a beam of 36.6 metres, a depth of 22.5 metres, and a total cargo capacity of 99,000 cubic metres. The ship will be used for the transport of ethane, ethylene, LPG and other liquefied gases.
The ship's design ensures compatibility with many major LPG terminals worldwide. Other onboard systems include those that help minimise instances of boil-off gas, thus reducing risk of cargo loss.
The cargo is stored in IMO Type B tanks developed in-house by Jiangnan Shipyard. The tanks were developed to help ensure low boil-off rate.
Power is provided by a dual-fuel main engine that can also run on ethane.