VESSEL REVIEW | Mount Yulong – Eastern Pacific adds LNG dual-fuel bulker trio to fleet
Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has taken delivery of three new 210,000DWT LNG dual-fuel Newcastlemax bulk carriers built by China's Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding.
Mount Victoria, Mount Yulong, and Mount Wuyi were formally named together at Qingdao Beihai’s facilities on September 1. Mount Victoria's delivery documents were signed at the same ceremony, and Mount Yulong was formally handed over on October 21.
The ships are the third, fourth and fifth of 14 Newcastlemax bulk carriers that EPS has contracted at Qingdao Beihai, a China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary, since the two companies began working together in August 2023.
The newbuilds are chartered to Shourong Shipping of the Shougang Group.
EPS Chief Executive Cyril Ducau said the three vessels were handed over five months ahead of their contracted delivery dates. The first two ships of the series were delivered in July and on August 12, both nearly four months ahead of contract.
Qingdao Beihai developed the design in-house and said it incorporates several of the yard's own patents.
Each ship in the series has an LOA of 299.99 metres (984.22 feet) and a moulded beam of 50 metres (160 feet). Both Mount Victoria and Mount Yulong are registered in Singapore. Mount Victoria has a deadweight of 209,627 and a gross tonnage of 113,471 while Mount Yulong is rated at 210,600 DWT and 113,477 GT.
Each ship has an LNG dual-fuel main engine supplied from a Type C LNG tank arrangement. Qingdao Beihai said that operating in gas mode cuts carbon emissions by approximately 20 per cent and reduces SOx emissions to near zero.
Fitted with exhaust aftertreatment for reduced emissions
An open-loop scrubber is also fitted, allowing the ships to burn high-sulphur fuel oil. The yard said this lets the owner choose among fuels of different sulphur contents and switch fuel systems to suit operational requirements.
Fuel oil capacity has been increased to 4,150 cubic metres (912,900 gallons). According to the yard, this gives the ships enough endurance for a round trip between China and Brazil.
Qingdao Beihai attributes a two per cent gain in propulsive efficiency over its previous generation design to optimised hull lines combined with integrated energy-saving devices. The machinery also includes a PTI shaft generator.
The autopilot has a track control system that combines route planning with automatic track following. The yard said this shortens sailing distances and reduces energy consumption.
The design meets EEDI Phase III requirements. Qingdao Beihai said its operational Carbon Intensity Indicator also meets 2040 emissions requirements.
The builder reported that outstanding items in the pre-trial inspection and test plan on Mount Victoria were reduced by 27 per cent compared with the first ship. Gas bunkering and overall commissioning on Mount Victoria were completed within nine days, three to four days less than on earlier comparable ships.
Part of a proven series
Qingdao Beihai is building the same 210,000DWT class for CMB Tech, whose Fortescue-chartered Mineral Europa has an ammonia dual-fuel engine in place of LNG. The new series follows an earlier EPS Newcastlemax programme of five 210,000DWT ships. Those vessels were ordered for BHP iron ore charters between Western Australia and China, with deliveries scheduled for 2022.
Mount Victoria called at Ponta da Madeira in Brazil from October 14 and sailed on October 24 for Krishnapatnam in India. Mount Yulong is bound for Peru, with an estimated arrival of November 29.