AW Shipping’s VLACs join newbuild order book
AW Shipping, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi's state-owned Adnoc and Chinese petrochemical producer Wanhua Chemical, has ordered up to four Very Large Ammonia Carrier (VLAC) newbuilds.
AW Shipping ordered up to four 93,000m³ VLACs from China's Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. The deal was for two firm and two optional VLACs, with prices estimated at around $120mn each, according to sales and purchase and newbuild vessel sources. AW Shipping has yet to respond to Argus to confirm the prices.
It added five very large gas carriers to its fleet at the end of last year. The 86,000m³ newbuilds — Al Ain, Zakher, Rabdan, Al Salam and Baynounah — were built by Jiangnan and are equipped with dual-fuel engines that can run on LPG, which will be used as the primary fuel, as well as standard bunker fuels, the company said.
Ammonia carrier demand is increasing as it gains traction in the energy and agricultural sectors and plays a part in decarbonisation efforts. It is becoming more popular because of its low-carbon qualities, which make it a desirable option for use in power plants and as an alternative fuel in the maritime sector. Ammonia is also extensively used in the production of fertilizer.
But development of a VLAC market could be delayed by a lack of terminal infrastructure to allow discharge of 40,000-60,000t cargoes, said Steem1960 ammonia shipbroker Lisa Maria Assmann at the Argus Clean Ammonia conference in Tokyo in May. Around 40 VLACs are scheduled to hit the water between 2026-28, when an uptake in clean ammonia trade is likely to be pushed by public tenders from South Korea and Japan.
"VLACs cannot discharge these large volumes using the existing infrastructure," Assmann said. "We have storages that are much smaller than that, terminals with draft issues, LOA (length overall) issues. With all these problems, I do not see these large volumes being discharged in a speedy manner in the short term, not before 2035-40 at least."
Related news posts
US House panel advances waterways’ projects bill
US House panel advances waterways’ projects bill
Houston, 27 June (Argus) — A Congressional committee on Wednesday advanced a bill to authorize a bundle of US port and river infrastructure projects for the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) biennially authorizes projects handled by the Corps' civil works program aimed at improving shipping operations at the nation's ports and harbors, and along the inland waterway system. The traditionally bipartisan legislation also approves flood and storm programs, and work on other aspects of water resources infrastructure. The House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday passed the bill by a 61-2 vote. The Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works passed its own version of the bill on 22 May by a 19-0 vote. Neither the full Senate nor House have yet voted on the bills, which will need a conference committee to sort out different versions. A key difference is that the House bill did not include an adjustment to the cost-sharing structure for lock and dam construction and major rehabilitation projects. The Senate measure adjusted the funding mechanism so that 75pc of costs would be paid for by the US Treasury Department's general fund, with the rest coming from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. The 2022 version of the bill made permanent an increase to 65pc from the general fund and 35pc from the trust fund, which is funded by a barge diesel fuel tax. The House committee's decision not to include the funding change drew disappointment from shipping interests. The Waterways Council was "disappointed that the House did not include a provision to modernize the inland waterways system", but was hopeful that conference negotiations would result in its inclusion, Tracy Zea, chief executive of the group, said. The latest House version of the bill authorizes 12 projects and 160 new feasibility studies. Among the projects receiving approval were modifications to the Seagirt Loop Channel near the Baltimore Harbor in Maryland. The federal government would pay $47.9mn towards an estimate $63.9mn project to widen the channel, which would help meet future demand for capacity within the Port of Baltimore. That would include increased container volume at the Seagirt Marine Terminal. The project was in the works before the 26 March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge temporarily diverted freight from Seagirt and many other port terminals. The committee also authorized $314.25mn towards a resiliency study of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The study would consider hurricane and storm damage and identify ways to improve navigation, reduce the maintenance requirements, and provide resiliency. The waterway connects ports along the Gulf of Mexico from St Marks, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas. The House version of the bill also includes provisions to strengthen flood control, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. "Critically, WRDA 2024 will help communities increase resiliency in the face of climate change," representative Rick Larsen (D-WA) said. By Abby Caplan and Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Yemen’s Houthis hit another bulk cargo carrier: Update
Yemen’s Houthis hit another bulk cargo carrier: Update
Adds Houthi spokesperson comments Singapore, 24 June (Argus) — Yemen-based Houthi militants have struck a Greek-owned and operated bulk cargo carrier in a suspected uncrewed aerial system attack on 23 June, said US Central Command (Centcom) today. This marked the Houthi's fourth attack on the Liberian-flagged Transworld Navigator , which reported moderate ship damage but has continued under way. The vessel most recently docked in Malaysia and was headed to Egypt, according to Centcom. The incident happened near Yemen's Al Hudaydah, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The Transworld Navigator is currently in ballast and last discharged about 133,000t of thermal coal in China in late May, according to global trade analytics platform Kpler. The UKMTO later on 23 June received a separate report of a distress call from a vessel near Yemen's Nishtun. The merchant vessel "suffered flooding that cannot be contained", which forced the crew to abandon the ship, said UKMTO. The Houthis took responsibility for the attacks on the two vessels. The Transworld Navigator had been targeted in the Red Sea using "an uncrewed surface boat" which led to a direct hit against the ship, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said on 23 June. The Stolt Sequoia , which Houthis identified as an oil product tanker, was attacked in the Indian Ocean with a number of cruise missiles. The ships belonged to companies that "violated the ban on entering the ports of occupied Palestine", Saree said in a televised speech. The Stolt Sequoia was expected to arrive in Belgium on 9 July to discharge about 36,000t of base oils, according to Kpler. The Iran-backed Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea six weeks after the Israel-Hamas war broke out last year in what they claim is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. They have stepped up their attacks in recent days, prompting countermeasures by US and UK military forces deployed in the area. The Red Sea is one of the world's most important shipping lanes, serving as a vital trade link between Europe and Asia. The recent spate of attacks prompted the International Chamber of Shipping to last week call for urgent action to stop the Houthis' "unlawful attacks" on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. This came after the sinking of a second bulk carrier , the Greek-owned and operated Tutor , since November last year. Oil prices were mostly steady despite escalating tensions in the Red Sea. The Ice front-month August Brent contract was at $85.15/bl at 03:43 GMT, down by 0.06pc from the previous settlement. The front-month July WTI crude contract was at $80.66/bl, down by 0.09pc. By Tng Yong Li and Bachar Halabi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Yemen’s Houthis hit another bulk cargo carrier: Centcom
Yemen’s Houthis hit another bulk cargo carrier: Centcom
Singapore, 24 June (Argus) — Yemen-based Houthi militants have struck a Greek-owned and operated bulk cargo carrier in a suspected uncrewed aerial system attack on 23 June, said US Central Command (Centcom) today. This marked the Houthi's fourth attack on the Liberian-flagged Transworld Navigator , which reported moderate ship damage but has continued under way. The vessel most recently docked in Malaysia and was headed to Egypt, according to Centcom. The incident happened near Yemen's Al Hudaydah, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The Transworld Navigator is currently in ballast and last discharged about 133,000t of thermal coal in China in late May, according to global trade analytics platform Kpler. The UKMTO later on 23 June received a separate report of a distress call from a vessel near Yemen's Nishtun. The merchant vessel "suffered flooding that cannot be contained", which forced the crew to abandon the ship, said UKMTO. The Houthis took responsibility for the attacks on the two vessels and identified the second vessel as oil product tanker Stolt Sequoia , which Houthis attacked with missiles, according to Yemen's state-run Saba news agency. The tanker was expected to arrive in Belgium on 9 July to discharge about 36,000t of base oils, according to Kpler. The recent spate of attacks prompted the International Chamber of Shipping to last week call for urgent action to stop the Houthis' "unlawful attacks" on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. This came after the sinking of a second bulk carrier , the Greek-owned and operated Tutor , since November last year. Oil prices were mostly steady despite escalating tensions in the Red Sea. The Ice front-month August Brent contract was at $85.15/bl at 03:43 GMT, down by 0.06pc from the previous settlement. The front-month July WTI crude contract was at $80.66/bl, down by 0.09pc. By Tng Yong Li Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Urea paper markets rise on India tender rumours
Urea paper markets rise on India tender rumours
Amsterdam, 21 June (Argus) — Urea derivatives have reversed their downwards trajectory and moved back in line with physical prices today, driven by rumours that the Indian government may float a purchase tender next week. Middle East urea swaps rose to $340-350/t fob basis bids and offers for July-August contracts, up from $325-335/t fob at the start of the week. Chinese domestic urea futures also jumped later in the day, with the July contract up by as much as 1.82pc on the 20 June close, before settling up by 0.79pc at Yn2,160/t. The August contract was up by 2.19pc late in the afternoon trading session, before falling sharply to close up by 0.95pc at Yn2,130/t. Rumours of a potential tender to buy in India, the largest global urea importer and second-largest consumption market, appear to be the key driver of the bullish sentiment in the paper markets, reversing the downwards trend throughout most of this week. The tender's timing, if confirmed, would be contrary to most expectations, given that there is plenty of urea availability in India, with inventories climbing to more than 11mn t at the end of May, buoyed by strong domestic production. And the monsoon rains so far this season have lagged the long-term average by 17pc. But a tender issuance would imply that the government expects a potential surge in demand in July-September. Urea prices at major fob origins jumped by 27-28pc from early May to mid-June, but the resumption of production in key supply-market Egypt, following a gas shortage, weighed on physical prices this week to 20 June, pressuring levels by $5-10/t in most markets. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Business intelligence reports
Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
Learn more