Chinese shipbuilder Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering has launched Avenir Ambition, the first of two 20,000-cbm LNG bunker and supply vessels ordered by Avenir LNG, according to Avenir LNG.
The vessel entered the water in China on 20 July and is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026, when it will begin a seven-year time charter with Vitol International Shipping Pte Ltd.
Charter options could extend the employment period to 10 years. Avenir Ambition, hull S1123, had its steel cut on 21 July 2025 and its keel laid on 27 March 2026. The ship is 160 metres long, has a beam of 25 metres and a design speed of 15.5 knots.
Final outfitting, equipment installation and commissioning will now take place before delivery.
The vessel is fitted with a WinGD dual-fuel main engine using iCER technology and has provision for a high-voltage shore-power system. Its design includes Type C cargo tanks, hull-form optimisation and subcooling equipment intended to reduce boil-off and cargo losses. The ship will be able to load and discharge LNG and BioLNG to receiving vessels and terminals.
Avenir LNG ordered the pair from CIMC SOE in April 2024. The two newbuildings are expected to increase its vessel count by 40% and total carrying capacity by 80%. The second 20,000-cbm vessel is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027 and has been fixed on a multi-year charter to SeaRiver Maritime LLC.
London-based Avenir LNG was founded in 2017 and operates in small-scale LNG and BioLNG transportation, supply and marine bunkering. Its existing fleet comprises five LNG bunker and supply vessels.
CIMC SOE is a Chinese builder of gas carriers, offshore units and specialised marine vessels. Vitol International Shipping Pte Ltd is part of the Vitol energy and commodities group.
Stolt Tankers provided project management and site supervision for Avenir Ambition. SeaRiver Maritime is the marine transportation affiliate of Exxon Mobil Corporation, while WinGD develops marine engine and propulsion systems.