DNV GL to class VLECs

The five vessels, which are said to be the largest of their kind, will measure around 231m and will have a capacity of 85,000m³ each.

“It’s a great honour to be given the opportunity to act as the classification society for this new series of ECO Star 85k vessels. These vessels will be the largest ethane carriers yet constructed, but it is not only the size, but the technical innovations present in this design that will make these ships a real breakthrough for the industry,” said Torsten Schramm, COO for Germany, Middle East and Asia, DNV GL.

“Such highly specialised vessels require a very strong technical partnership and we are looking forward to working together with Jaccar, Hartmann and HB Hunte to bring this project to a successful conclusion,” he added.

The cargo tanks of the vessels will feature a “world first” – the use of Star-Tri-Lobe tanks, which consist of three combined cylinders. Due to better utilisation of the space in the cargo holds, this is said to result in higher efficiency and allows an increase in cargo capacity of almost 30% over similarly sized vessels with conventional tanks, reducing shipping costs through great economies of scale.