The world’s largest ethane carrier, built in China for the global Ineos Group, was named, in Houston, as the ‘Pacific Ineos Belstaff’ after the iconic Belstaff clothing brand, which is owned by Ineos.
The new ship joins Ineos’s growing carrier fleet and was primarily built to transport US ethane both to China and Europe. As the world’s first 99,000m3 VLEC, the vessel is fitted with type B tanks, to a new design for transporting ethane. The tanks allow optimisation of vessel capacity, fitting closely to the external shape of the vessel. The ship has the potential to carry other products such as ethylene and LPG.
David Thompson, CEO Ineos Trading and Shipping, said: “Today’s ceremony is another major milestone in the expansion of Ineos’s shipping and trading capabilities. As always at Ineos we have innovated and invested in the future, so I am delighted that we now operate the world’s largest VLEC and I look forward to this vessel transporting vital feedstocks for years to come.”
Belstaff CEO Fran Millar formally named the ship, which carries the Belstaff brand slogan, ‘Built for Life’.
Millar said: “I am proud to be godmother to this new and innovative carrier as it becomes a part of the growing INEOS fleet. In displaying the Belstaff brand along the length of the ship it also provides Belstaff with an enormous billboard introducing our logo to some very new places around the world.”
Built in Jiangnan, China and operated by Pacific Gas, the 230m long Pacific Ineos Belstaff contains about 18,000t of steel and 40,000m of piping.
John Lu, President Pacific Gas, said: “We are delighted to deliver the Pacific Ineos Belstaff and start serving Ineos’ ground-breaking ethane trading business around the globe. Today marks the beginning of a very long journey with our partner Ineos. We will maintain the highest standards for the operation of the vessel and meet the fullest satisfaction of our customers.”
The launch of the Pacific Ineos Belstaff takes the Ineos ethane fleet to 11 vessels consisting of three VLECs and eight ‘dragon’ ships, which have been regularly transporting ethane across the Atlantic for over five years. A fourth VLEC is set to launch in Spring 2022.
