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International classification society Bureau Veritas is classing the 27,000 cbm JS Ineos Insight, the first in a series of eight multi-gas Dragon-class multigas carriers being built at Sinopacific, China, for Denmark’s Evergas, and the first ship ever to run on ethane.

JS Ineos Insight was named on July 14 and is configured for transport of ethane, LPG or LNG. It has options to be powered by ethane, LNG and conventional diesel power.

”The ability to burn ethane as well as LNG to power these unique vessels is a major step forward in the use of clean fuels. It means the vessels can use cargo gas during transits to provide a clean and clear commercial and environmental advantage,” Martial Claudepierre, Business Development Manager, Bureau Veritas, said.

”We have worked with Evergas and the Danish Maritime Authority to verify and ensure that the use of ethane is at least as safe as required by the IGC and will not impair the engine compliance with MARPOL Annex VI.”

The Dragon vessels were originally designed with a dual-fuel LNG/diesel power utilising two 1,000 cbm LNG tanks on deck powering two Wärtsilä 6L20 DF main engines with a total of 2,112 kW power and two shaft generators with total 3.600 kW power. The ability to also burn ethane was added to allow use of the cargo gas as the vessels are destined initially for transport of ethane from the U.S. to the U.K. Ineos refineries.

”Using ethane required extra engine room ventilation and additional gas detection, plus modifications to the main engines including a lower compression ratio, different turbocharger nozzles and de-rating of the engine to cope with the lower knocking resistance of ethane. But the gains in not carrying an additional fuel and in environmental performance from being able to burn clean fuel throughout the voyage are significant,” Claudepierre said.