An official naming ceremony for one of the largest ethane carriers, the ‘Pacific Ineos Grenadier’, has been held in Houston, US.
The new vessel is a 99,000m3 VLEC (very large ethane carrier) and is the latest ship to join the INEOS fleet. The ship is fitted with Type B tanks, a new design for transporting liquified ethane that optimises vessel capacity. The ship also has the potential to carry other products such as LPG and ethylene.
David Thompson, CEO Ineos Trading & Shipping, said: “Today’s ceremony was very special for Ineos. It highlights perfectly the immense breadth of the company which now spans from chemicals and energy, to fashion and automotive. In February this year we launched the Pacific Ineos Belstaff, then the world’s largest ethane carrier, and today alongside our highly anticipated Grenadier 4X4 we have added the second of the world’s largest VLECs to our growing fleet.”
Built in Jiangnan, China and operated by Pacific Gas, the Pacific Ineos Grenadier is 230m in overall length.
John Lu, President Pacific Gas said: “We are delighted to deliver the Pacific Ineos Grenadier, the second of the largest VLECs in the world, as we extend Ineos’ ground-breaking ethane trading business.”
The Ineos ethane fleet now consists of twelve vessels including four VLECs, and eight ‘Dragon’ ships. The Dragon ships have been regularly transporting ethane across the Atlantic for over six years.
The vessel is named for the Ineos group’s soon-to-be launched Grenadier 4X4 vehicle, an example of which was on the quayside for the ceremony.
