07.12.2023 | Press release

Charter contract signed for "GAS 96": HGK Shipping to deploy vessel for LyondellBasell from 2025

HGK Shipping signed a long-term charter contract for the "GAS 96" with the chemical company LyondellBasell on 6 December 2023. The diesel-electric and draught-optimised gas tanker is currently under construction and is expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Representatives of HGK Shipping and LyondellBasell signed the contract.

The signing of the contract marks the final step in the development process of the innovative new building. The "GAS 96" was designed in close consultation with the customer and fulfils its requirements for a sustainable and safe supply to its sites. In future, the ship will be used to transport propylene oxide within the ARA region and to supply the sites in the Netherlands, Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Like its sister ships, the "GAS 96" has a diesel-electric drive and is "future-fuel-ready". The installed power management system optimises performance in line with demand and reduces fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. In addition to sustainability aspects, the design of the ship also focussed on the load-bearing capacity of the newbuild. The innovative design of the ship, for which the HGK Shipping Design Centre is once again responsible, is particularly noteworthy.

The combination of a high load capacity of 300 tonnes from a navigable draught of 1.20 metres with dimensions of 110 metres in length and 15 metres in width is unlike anything that has previously travelled on the Rhine and its tributaries. The maximum load capacity is more than 2,500 tonnes. With its extraordinary parameters, the "GAS 96" sets a new milestone for the waterway system.

The hull is currently being built at a shipyard in Eastern Europe, while the final dismantling is taking place at the De Gerlien Van Tiem shipyard in Druten, Netherlands.