Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS), based in Singapore, has taken delivery of the inaugural vessel from a series of six very large ethane carriers (VLEC) constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

The newly delivered vessel, named STL Yangtze, has a capacity of 98,000m³ and was commissioned in 2020. EPS has ensured that all six VLECs will be equipped with dual-fuel ethane propulsion, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional marine fuels.

These environmentally conscious vessels will transport ethane from the US Gulf Coast to STL’s facility in Lianyungang, China, as part of a 15-year charter agreement.

EPS considers this delivery a significant milestone and highlights the enhanced living arrangements offered by the EPS Life at Sea Program on the new carriers.

In a statement, the shipping company expressed its commitment to the energy transition in the maritime industry, stating, “It represents our commitment to maritime’s energy transition with our holistic alternative marine fuels programme to achieve the industry’s decarbonisation goals!”

Additionally, EPS recently signed an agreement with Value Maritime to install carbon capture and filtering systems on two MR tankers, namely M/T Pacific Cobalt and M/T Pacific Gold. The agreement also includes provisions for deploying the system on three additional vessels.

In June of the previous year, EPS placed an order with China Merchants Jinling shipyard for six new dual-fuel car carriers. The agreement involves the construction of four 70,000-tonne-class car carriers, with an option for an additional two LNG-fueled pure car and truck carriers.