Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has expanded its gas carrier fleet with the delivery of a new environmentally friendly very large gas carrier (VLGC) from South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).
The vessel, named Rosablanche, is equipped with Babcock International Group’s LGE business’s cargo handling system (CHS) and fuel gas supply system (FGSS). The FGSS enables the vessel to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel, while the CHS is designed for the transfer and storage of various liquefied gases. Both systems are integrated to boost efficiency and reduce the ship’s environmental footprint. The project also marks the first collaboration between Babcock and SHI.
EPS has been steadily growing its dual-fuel fleet. In August 2023, it named its first dual-fuel LPG VLGC, the 86,000 cbm MV Logan Explorer, built by HD Hyundai Samho and chartered to Trafigura. Earlier that year, market reports indicated that EPS had signed contracts for four dual-fuel 93,000 cbm VLGCs, split between HD Hyundai Samho and SHI, for delivery in 2026. The company also had two 88,000 cbm VLGCs on order at SHI, scheduled for handover in 2024.
In August 2024, EPS further diversified its portfolio by commissioning six 150,000 cbm ultra-large ethane carriers from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Those units, expected in 2027, will feature advanced energy-saving technologies.
Meanwhile, SHI continues to strengthen its position in the gas carrier market. In January 2024, it secured an order from Oceania-based owners for two LPG/ammonia carriers, due in November 2027. A month later, the shipbuilder signed a $3.4 billion deal—believed to be with QatarEnergy—for 15 LNG carriers, with deliveries slated for 2028. SHI is also constructing five dual-fuel very large ethane carriers (VLECs) for Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), incorporating technology from Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.