The special design LPG vessel TNGC En 1001 (2,057 cbm with Chinese flag) was delivered yesterday from the Wuchang Shipyard in Wuhan, China. Following successful trial trips, the vessel will be subject to Chinese authorities' inspection and permits.
TNGC, I.M. Skaugen's joint venture with Hubei Tianfa of Wuhan, pioneers the transport of LPG on the Yangtze river - bringing LPG to the inland regions of China for the first time. The demand for LPG to the areas inhabited along the Yangtze river is both for residential and industrial energy purposes, and the prevailing transportation infra-structure leads to a concentration of the possible transportation for such products by means of water transportation. The LPG for the area close to Hubei Tianfa's terminal in Zhijiang, constructed in connection with the development of the Three Gorges Dam project, will be used primarily for household energy purposes instead of the present use of wood and coal.
TNGC's push boats, barges and vessels will all sail under Chinese flag and crew and are managed from an operations centre in Wuhan. The TNGC 1,600 cbm LPG barge Tian En 101 successfully completed its maiden voyages on the Yangtze river late December 1998.
TNGC is also building three new special designed LPG vessels (expected delivery 2Q99) with an additional capacity of 3,200 cbm and two special purpose designed push tug boats. This will increase the daily transportation capacity to about 3,400 tons carrying capacity that should enable TNGC to transport up to 200,000 tons annually primarily for the Hubei province and the trade for Tianfa.