ABU DHABI – The UAE’s ADNOC Logistics & Services announced that its subsidiary, AW Shipping, in collaboration with China’s Wanhua Chemical Group, has secured contracts worth a total of AED 7 billion (US$1.91 billion) to build giant carriers at the Jiangnan Shipyard in China.

According to ADNOC’s statement on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the contracts include the construction of nine Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs) at AED 5.1 billion, along with two Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs) at AED 900 million, with the possibility of building two additional VLACs at the same cost.

The new vessels will be among the largest ethane and ammonia carriers in the world, equipped with dual-fuel engines for energy efficiency, and scheduled to operate for 20 years under lease agreements.

With more than 25 VLECs currently operating with global shipping companies, the addition of these new carriers will make AW Shipping one of the largest fleet owners in this sector.

Each VLEC has a capacity of 99,000 cubic meters and will be equipped to use ethane or traditional fuel, while each VLAC has a capacity of 93,000 cubic meters and will be equipped to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or traditional fuel.

The delivery of the ships is expected between 2025 and 2027 for the VLECs and between 2026 and 2028 for the VLACs.