Bibby Line orders first LGP ship from Korea

Bibby Line`s latest fully refrigerated LPG tanker features technically advanced cargo refrigeration plant, and is to be built in Korea. Having been involved in LPG shipping since the late 60`s, and in that time having owned just about every size and type of gas ship, Bibby Line`s fleet is now concentrated in the mid-size 25-40,000m3 range. Designed around the commercial requirements of the worldwide LPG, Petchem and Ammonia trades, the new 35,000m3 capacity addition to the fleet has been ordered from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea, for delivery in November 2002. Bibby Line`s general manager of Marine Assets, Howard Woodcock, said: “This is the first time Bibby Line has contracted a newbuilding in South Korea and we were very satisfied with the way in which our technical team were able to deal with the Hyundai executives. The end result of these discussions appears to be a design for a very flexible and efficient vessel utilising some interesting technology.” It was LGE Process, the Edinburgh-based LPG specialist contractor and Weir Group subsidiary with over 30 years experience in the gas business, that secured the contract for design, procurement and installation supervision for the cargo handling plant. LGE and HHI prepared the detailed gas plant specification following a comprehensive technical meeting in Liverpool with Bibby in July 2000.