Following the shipbuilding contract from June 2023, Norwegian shipping company Avance Gas has now declared the option to book another two mid-sized LPG/ammonia carriers at Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE), according to Offshore Energy.
The ships will have a cargo capacity of 40,000 cubic metres and are scheduled for delivery during the second and fourth quarters of 2026.
Like their sister ships ordered in June this year, the newbuildings will be equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of running on both LPG and compliant fuel oil.
As the ships will also be equipped with shaft generators, this will further improve operation and maintenance cost while improving the environmental profile of the ships, Avance Gas said.
In addition to being able to transport traditional LPG cargo, the vessels can also carry ammonia cargo. The seaborn ammonia trade is expected to grow significantly in the coming years due to the numerous blue and green ammonia projects incentivized through various tax credits and carbon taxes.
The contract price for the newbuildings is approximately $61.5 million per vessel, i.e. $123 million in total.