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Danish operator Evergas and JHW Engineering & Contracting have entered into an agreement for the construction of four INEOS MAX 32,000-cubic-metre (cbm) liquefied ethane/ethylene carriers, with the option to order an additional two.

According to Evergas, a leading transporter of petrochemical gases and natural gas liquids, the vessels are expected to include a range of features specifically tailored for safe, environmentally friendly and efficient operations.

The cargo capacity has been increased by more than 10 percent by optimizing the design of the cargo tanks as well as the layout of the ship. This is said to have been carried out without changing the main dimensions of the ship compared to Evergas's 27,500-cubic-metre Dragon-class carriers.

The dual-fuel propulsion system will enable the new ships to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and ethane, and the optimized 'eco' hull design is set to "significantly reduce emissions", Evergas says.

The INEOS MAX carriers are scheduled to be delivered from the first quarter of 2018 onwards and will be built at "a selected shipyard in China", Evergas confirmed.