The Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) christened the first of three LNG-powered Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) for the Norwegian energy group Equinor in the Chinese port city of Dalian on Tuesday.
The vessel named “Energia Viking”, was christened at the Dalian Cosco KHI Ship Engineering (DACKS) shipyard. Delivery of the newbuilding is scheduled for the end of the current year. With a length of around 339.5 meters and a width of 60 meters , the “Energia Viking” is one of the largest tankers in its class with LNG dual-fuel propulsion. The unit has an LNG tank with a capacity of more than 10,000 m³, sufficient for long distances and flexible deployment profiles, MOL said in a statement.
The Tokyo-based shipping company, MOL, is pursuing the goal of having a total of 90 ships powered by LNG or methanol in operation by 2030. Around 40 LNG ships are currently under development, including six new VLCCs, which are to be delivered from 2025.
In addition to the three units for Equinor, MOL has also ordered another LNG-powered VLCC this year. This 309,000 dwt vessel will also be constructed by DACKS and is scheduled to be delivered over to Idemitsu Tanker in 2027 – as the first dual-fuel VLCC under charter for a Japanese oil company.
