Key Highlights About the Vessel:

The world’s largest container cabin built
The world’s first ship using B-type tanks
99,000 m3 large ethane transport ship

This type of ship independently developed by the Jiangnan Shipyard, which belongs to the south “Panda (Panda)” series, to serve the long-distance transport of liquefied ethane, ethane is the best ship US long-distance transport, as well as having the world’s major liquefied gas terminal universal applicability.

Main dimensions: The total design length is 230.0 meters, the molding width is 36.6 meters, and the molding depth is 22.5 meters.
Cargo tanks: 4 “BrilliancE®” B-type liquid cargo tanks and 2 C-type deck tanks with independent intellectual property rights in Jiangnan Shipbuilding, with a maximum capacity of 99,000 cubic meters.
Main engine: It is equipped with dual-fuel main engine and shaft generator that can use ethane as fuel, which meets the most stringent emission requirements while maintaining the best economy.
Classification: This type of ship is classified into American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and China Classification Society (CCS), meeting the latest International Bulk Liquefied Gas Regulations (IGC), International Maritime Organization (IMO), United States Coast Guard (USCG) And other relevant international rules.
Ship type (In terms of the design): Second-Generation (Hull Form)

World's First Very Large Ethane Carrier Officially Named 'Pacific Ineos Belstaff' — Image Credits: cssc.net.cn

The ship adopts the second-generation VS-BOW bow line type patented by Jiangnan Shipbuilding. The digital tank (CFD) is closely integrated with the model test and verification, and the independent diamond-shaped cargo tank is considered. The layout requirements of the hull have been comprehensively optimized for the hydrodynamic shape and internal space of the hull, so as to obtain a ship with excellent performance in all parties, and meet the requirements of the fourth stage of the ship energy efficiency index (EEDI) in advance.

World's First Very Large Ethane Carrier Officially Named 'Pacific Ineos Belstaff' - Type B cabin · The biggest highlight — Image Credits: cssc.net.cn

Type B cabin · The biggest highlight of BrilliancE®

The most prominent highlight of this type of ship is its liquefied gas containment system. Jiangnan Shipbuilding has developed the “BrilliancE®” technology with complete independent intellectual property rights based on the mature application of Type A cabin. The capital letter “B” means type B tank, and the capital letter “E” means ethane (Ethane, -89°C) and ethylene (Ethylene, -104°C).

“BrilliancE®” B-type cargo tank has the advantages of high safety and reliability, long structural fatigue life, low maintenance cost of the cargo tank, simple and efficient insulation system, high flexibility of loading goods, no liquid level loading restrictions, and less residual cargo in the cargo tank. Type B tanks can carry a variety of liquefied gas cargoes including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethylene and ethane.

Type B Cabin is very difficult. If the Type B cabin containment system and complex cargo system are integrated, the difficulty is even greater than that of the large LNG ship known as the “Crown Pearl”. It can be said to be the first without “halo”. The R&D and design team of Jiangnan Shipbuilding adheres to the innovative concept of “based on foresight, derived from self-confidence, not afraid of challenges, and transforming into the future”, and conducts fracture mechanics analysis and verification in strict accordance with the International Liquefied Gas Code (IGC Code) and the relevant regulations of the classification society.

Meta-calculation analysis, engineering-oriented design, cleverly integrated the A-type cabin structure and support system, the secondary screen and insulation of the spherical cabin, and the mature C-type cabin 5% nickel steel welding technology and process, and at the same time aiming at the B Special research has been carried out on core technologies such as the overall layout, structure, insulation, and secondary barriers of the type cabin, and a complete set of “BrilliancE®” type enclosure system has been independently developed and designed, and more than 30 patents have been declared.

Type B tank · BrilliancE® can be expected in the future.

It is worth mentioning that the type B tank liquid cargo containment system has great advantages in gas ships below 100,000 cubic meters, and the ship’s 99,000 cubic meters of tank capacity can be regarded as It can reach the maximum cargo capacity under the restriction of the so-called industry standard “Houston Waterway Main Scale Envelope”, and it currently holds the leading position in this market segment. At the same time, the B-type cabin technology can also be applied to LNG cargo tanks and fuel tanks, realizing the “substitutable” of foreign patents and breaking through the “stuck neck” monopoly.

World's First Very Large Ethane Carrier Officially Named 'Pacific Ineos Belstaff' top view — Image Credits: cssc.net.cn

Jiangnan Shipbuilding has completed research and development of 80,000 cubic meters of Type B LNG ships and 6000 to 18,500 cubic meters of LNG fuel tanks that can be deployed on large dual-fuel container ships. In addition, the advanced structural design concept of VLEC also “feeds back” Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s ultra-large liquefied petroleum gas carrier (VLGC) replacement ship type. Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s newly developed 93,000 cubic meter VLGC has obtained 11 real ship orders, and its comprehensive performance It is fully ahead of Hyundai’s similar ships.

Construction · Overcoming difficulties in Construction

During the construction of the first tank, Jiangnan Shipbuilding established a number of project research teams, which successively improved and solidified the technological process, welding procedures, and related process innovations, and contributed to the subsequent development of the cargo tanks. The rhythmic construction provides a strong guarantee. The insulation system of the B-type liquid cargo tank adopts complex plate insulation, which is an important part of the liquid cargo containment system.

The insulation of each cabin is composed of more than 6000 insulation boards of different shapes, and the upper slope of the cabin is 45 degrees and a height of nearly 9 meters, which is difficult to install and has a high-risk factor.

How to transport the insulation board to the correct installation location and ensure the correct installation of each insulation board is the key to the construction of the project. The project team and the insulation manufacturer carried out three-dimensional modeling and decomposition in the early stage and used the two-dimensional code to manage and track each board in the whole process.

The team also carried out a lot of planning work such as research, analysis and simulation, produced a detailed “construction guarantee plan”, determined the planning of temporary transfer areas, scaffolding, and “insulation board” transportation channels, as well as the method of parallel installation of double cabins. Shorten the installation cycle.

Construction · The shortest cycle Construction

VLEC construction team works closely with shipowners, supporting manufacturers and classification societies to overcome unfavorable factors such as the new crown pneumonia epidemic, overcome key technical difficulties in the core and key technologies of Type B tanks, and focus on project management orientation and innovation Process method, nickel steel welding procedure, thin plate deformation control and optimization of the construction process.

World's First Very Large Ethane Carrier Officially Named 'Pacific Ineos Belstaff' ceremony — Image Credits: cssc.net.cn

From the signing of the contract at the end of December 2019 to the completion and delivery of the first ship today, the total construction period is 24 months, and the dock outfitting cycle is 4 months. Both have set the record for the shortest period of the first ship of Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s large liquefied gas ship, and realized the complex ship type. Cycled construction.

In addition, Jiangnan Shipbuilding has three 99,000 cubic meters of VLEC ships of the same type under construction, which are scheduled to be delivered next year. “PACIFIC INEOS BELSTAFF” is the last product delivered by Jiangnan Shipbuilding in 2021, marking Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s successful completion of the production task of 12 types and 30 products throughout the year.