China State Shipbuilding Corp is constructing the world's largest ethane transport ship, with delivery to the user expected in spring next year, according to its chief designer.
"The world's first 150,000-cubic-meter ultra-large ethane carrier, or ULEC, is being built by Jiangnan Shipyard. It has reached a major construction milestone: its hull sections have been completed and the vessel entered dry dock earlier this week," Zheng Shuangyan, a senior engineer at the Shanghai-based shipyard and chief designer of the ULEC model, told China Daily in an exclusive interview on Thursday.
The vessel is expected to be floated out in about a month and a half to begin outfitting, followed by a sea trial in January. If all goes smoothly, it will be delivered to the owner in February, said Zheng.
The first ULEC is part of an order for six vessels placed by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping with Jiangnan Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp, in August 2024.
With a cargo capacity of 150,000 cu m each, the vessels will become the world's largest ethane carriers, establishing Jiangnan as the first shipyard worldwide to build such ships. Construction of the first vessel began in August 2025.
