Avance Gas orders LPG carriers from CIMC

John Fredriksen-backed Avance Gas has four 40,000-m3 LPG carrier newbuildings on order at Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co (CIMC SOE) for delivery in 2025 and 2026.

Wärtsilä’s range of complete cargo handling systems for gas tankers are designed to reduce operating costs and improve the vessel’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). The company will also supply an LPG fuel supply system.

CIMC vice president and chief executive of CIMC SOE, Wenbao Gao said, “We are very familiar with Wärtsilä’s capabilities in gas handling applications, and we are confident they are the best solution for these new vessels. The global support they can offer through their broad and comprehensive service network is another reason why they were chosen.”

These will be the first medium-sized LPG carrier vessels built at the SOE yard.

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled to be delivered in the latter part of 2024, and the ships are expected to be delivered in H2 2025 and onwards.

Avance Gas has also agreed to sell two South Korea-built very large gas carrier newbuildings scheduled for delivery in 2024. 91,000-m3 dual-fuel vessels Avance Castor and Avance Pollux will be sold for a combined US$240M to an unnamed buyer.