Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, has provided cargo handling systems for three new 93,000 cubic-metre (m3) Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLAC).
The ships are being built at the Korean shipyard Hanwha Ocean Co, which was previously known as DSME. Two vessels are for a Greek ship owner, one for a Japanese owner.
These two orders, both booked by Wärtsilä in Q4 2024.
The Wärtsilä scope for the whole Cargo Handling System includes the engineering, material , supervision, commissioning, and gas testing phases.
This complete system is intended to assure maximum performance and safety during cargo handling activities.
Lee, Leader of Basic Design Team, Hanwha Ocean Co, said: “We are happy to have Wärtsilä as a project partner for these ships. We have earlier worked with them and have complete trust in the efficiency and reliability of their products.”
According to Wärtsilä, VLACs are essentially Very Large Gas Carriers but designed to carry full cargoes of ammonia.
Since ammonia has a high specific gravity, VLAC cargo tanks and hulls need to be reinforced, and the vessels will have a deeper draught when fully loaded.
Patrick Ha, Sales Manager, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, stated: “Wärtsilä Gas Solutions has become the largest supplier of complete cargo handling systems for vessels in this segment .
“We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Hanwha and look forward to building an even stronger relationship with ship owners through this project. We are very pleased to continue this relationship with both companies, and fully committed to providing our full support throughout this latest project.”
The Wärtsilä equipment will be delivered to the yard in the second quarter of 2025.
Recently, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, a subsidiary of Wärtsilä Technology Group, secured a new contract to expand its market leadership in small-scale LNG applications.