Ammonia Gets Bigger Tanks: China’s Gas Owners Line Up VLAC-Scale Bets

December 10, 2025

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Chinese gas owner Tianjin Southwest Maritime is moving deeper into ammonia transportation with ammonia dual-fuel LPG carriers on order and a new cooperation on very large ammonia carrier designs, while Jiangnan Shipyard builds 90k-class VLACs for Middle East and Chinese clients. Together, these moves show that ammonia is shifting from a niche chemical cargo toward a large-scale energy commodity and potential marine fuel, with long-haul VLAC trades likely to shape gas carrier supply, yard slots and ton-mile demand into the late 2020s.

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Ammonia VLAC shift in 30 seconds

Chinese owners and yards are lining up very large ammonia-capable gas carriers for delivery late this decade, alongside ammonia dual-fuel LPG tonnage. The move links shipbuilding, engine makers and export projects around the idea that ammonia could become a mainstream seaborne energy cargo, not just a niche chemical trade.

What has changed

Ammonia-ready LPG carriers and VLAC concepts in the 80–93k cbm range give fleets the option to carry large ammonia parcels on long-haul routes while still trading LPG and ethane today.

Why it matters for fleets and yards

Complex gas berths at leading Asian yards are increasingly booked with LNG, VLEC, VLGC and now VLAC projects, pushing key delivery slots toward the late 2020s and supporting firmer newbuild pricing.

What to watch next

The pace of low-carbon ammonia projects, terminal investments and fuel trials will decide whether these ships anchor a new long-haul ammonia trade, or remain a specialised layer within the wider gas carrier fleet.

Bottom line: current Chinese ammonia-capable orders are a forward bet that ammonia will justify VLAC-scale logistics; how those hulls are employed in the late 2020s will show how much of that bet pays off in practice.

Item	Summary	Business mechanics	Bottom-line effect
Ammonia Steps Up To VLAC Size: Chinese Orders Shape Late-2020s Gas Trades
What is actually on order	Tianjin Southwest has ammonia dual-fuel LPG/liquid ammonia carriers on order at Huangpu Wenchong, while Jiangnan is building 93,000 cbm VLAC-type gas tonnage for regional owners.	Chinese owners and yards are moving up the gas size ladder: from mid-size ammonia-ready LPG carriers to VLAC-class ships that can lift roughly twice the cargo of today’s standard ammonia carriers.	📈 Early movers secure scarce yard slots and technical partners. 📉 Late entrants risk higher prices and delivery dates pushed closer to 2030.
VLAC scale and design	New 80,000 to 93,000 cbm VLAC designs can carry LPG or ammonia on long-haul trades, but need deepwater berths and upgraded terminals to operate efficiently.	Bigger hulls improve fuel and crewing cost per tonne but concentrate volume into fewer port calls, favouring export and import hubs that invest early in VLAC-ready jetties and handling systems.	📈 Ports and owners that are VLAC-ready gain a cost and volume edge on long routes. 📉 Smaller or slower-to-upgrade terminals risk being bypassed on the largest ammonia flows.
Tianjin Southwest’s ammonia-ready steps	New 25,000 and 41,000 cbm ammonia dual-fuel LPG carriers with WinGD ammonia engines and dedicated fuel systems sit alongside Tianjin Southwest’s larger VLEC and VLGC projects.	These ships can trade conventional LPG or ammonia from day one and later burn ammonia as fuel, giving flexibility across today’s petrochemical flows and tomorrow’s energy or bunkering chains.	📈 A flexible, ammonia-capable fleet can win business in both LPG and emerging ammonia energy trades. 📉 Owners without such optionality may find parts of the cargo base drifting toward more versatile tonnage.
VLAC cooperation and pipeline	Cooperation deals between Tianjin Southwest, Hengli Heavy Industry and major shipyards add VLAC concepts to an order pipeline that already includes large LPG and ethane carriers.	Yard–owner–engine maker clusters de-risk the first ships and create repeatable designs that can be offered quickly once charterers or producers commit to volume.	📈 A proven VLAC platform makes it easier to scale up when firm cargo contracts arrive. 📉 Owners outside these early clusters may face longer lead times to get comparable designs into the water.
Ammonia routes and ton-miles	Long-haul ammonia flows are expected to build from the Middle East, Americas and Australia into Asia and Europe as power and shipping test ammonia use and blending.	VLACs are tuned for these trunk routes: large parcels, long legs and repeat liftings between a limited number of export and import hubs, adding a new ton-mile layer to gas shipping if demand materialises.	📈 New ammonia lanes can create a fresh earnings pillar alongside LPG and LNG. 📉 If demand ramps slower than expected, oversupplied VLACs could weigh on returns in the wider gas carrier segment.
Yard slots and pricing	Large gas carrier berths at top Asian yards are already busy with LNG, VLEC and VLGC programs into the late 2020s, so VLACs compete directly for limited capacity.	Each new VLAC or gas order helps keep prices firm and delivery schedules tight, especially at the most experienced yards, and pushes later projects toward the turn of the decade.	📈 Early VLAC commitments can lock in credible delivery years and preferred technology packages. 📉 Waiting for “more clarity” may mean higher contract prices and delivery dates that miss the first wave of trade.
Regulation and safety	Class rules, fuel systems and emergency procedures for ammonia cargo and fuel are advancing, with multiple ammonia-fuel and VLAC projects already through key approval stages.	Designs must demonstrate safe handling of a toxic cargo and, in some cases, fuel. First-mover projects will set reference standards for later ships on crew training, ventilation, leak detection and emergency response.	📈 Owners involved in early approvals gain know-how and a story to tell lenders and charterers on safety and compliance. 📉 Those who lag may face tougher scrutiny and slower approvals when they eventually order.
Demand and timing risk	Forecasts for ammonia as an energy carrier and fuel span a wide range; project economics and policy support will decide how fast real cargo volumes appear.	Owners, charterers and producers all have to commit capital years before fuel standards, carbon prices and subsidy schemes fully settle, which makes portfolio balance and charter coverage crucial.	📈 Getting scale and timing roughly right can secure a strong position in a new trade. 📉 Over-ordering or staying out completely could be costly if actual cargo flows diverge from current expectations.
Notes: Summary reflects public reporting on Chinese ammonia-ready LPG and VLAC developments. Individual project scopes, delivery years and technology choices may change as contracts move from design to construction.

Ammonia at VLAC size: how the puzzle fits together

Orders and cooperation deals around very large ammonia capable gas carriers in China signal that ammonia is moving from a niche chemical cargo toward a structured energy trade. The late 2020s look set to test whether long haul ammonia flows can sit alongside LNG and LPG as a third leg in the gas shipping portfolio.

VLAC concepts in place
First wave targets late 2020s

Focus

Very large ammonia capable gas ships

Chinese owners and yards are lining up large gas carriers that can lift ammonia at scale, with designs that also handle LPG or ethane so they can trade before dedicated ammonia routes fully form.

Timing

Deliveries into the late 2020s

Lead times for complex gas ships mean hulls ordered now will arrive close to 2028 and beyond, which overlaps with many planned low carbon ammonia production projects and pilot fuel corridors.

Likely corridors

Export hubs to energy demand centers

Early VLAC employment is expected to concentrate on long routes between large export projects in the Middle East or Atlantic basin and major power or industrial hubs in Asia and Europe.

Where VLACs sit in a future ammonia value chain

Producers Large scale ammonia plants linked to gas or renewable feedstock and often supported by policy incentives.

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Export terminals Deepwater jetties, storage and loading arms sized to handle VLAC parcels and fast turnaround.

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VLAC fleet Large ammonia capable gas carriers moving bulk volumes on fixed long haul routes with repeat liftings.

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Import hubs Receiving terminals that can discharge VLAC cargoes and feed pipelines, storage or cracking units.

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End users Power generators, industrial sites or bunkering locations using ammonia as feedstock or fuel.

Gas shipowners

Balancing today’s LPG and ethane trades with tomorrow’s ammonia flows.

Ammonia capable designs allow ships to earn in traditional LPG trades while early ammonia routes build out.
Portfolio decisions now influence how much exposure owners have to a possible third gas leg alongside LNG and LPG later in the decade.

Charterers and producers

Linking production decisions to available hulls.

Long term offtake contracts and subsidies matter less if there is not enough suitable tonnage to move product out of export basins.
Working with early VLAC owners can help match ship specifications to terminal layouts and contract structures from the start.

Ports and terminals

Infrastructure choices decide who can handle the largest ships.

Draft, jetty strength, storage and safety systems must be sized with VLACs in mind or the largest parcels will go elsewhere.
Ports that already serve LNG and LPG at scale can often adapt faster to ammonia handling and safety requirements than new greenfield sites.

Where the upside sits

If projects and policy line up as planned.

Ammonia capable VLACs add a new source of ton mile demand on long routes that complement existing gas trades.
First mover fleets can offer full chains that link large export projects, shipping and receiving hubs into integrated logistics packages.
Demonstrated safe operation of big ammonia cargoes improves confidence for financiers, regulators and end users.

Where friction remains

If assumptions about scale or timing prove optimistic.

Delays in project sanctioning or policy support could leave early VLACs leaning more heavily on LPG and petrochemical trades than originally planned.
Ammonia safety, crew training and public acceptance issues may slow the spread of ammonia as a marine fuel, even if cargo trades go ahead.
Competing low carbon fuels or technologies could limit the share of energy demand that ammonia ultimately secures.

Tianjin Southwest’s ammonia capable orders and the VLAC concepts emerging at leading Chinese yards show that the industry is preparing for ammonia to play a much bigger role in seaborne energy trades. The ships now on the drawing board will arrive just as the first wave of large export projects and policy frameworks for low carbon ammonia are tested in practice. Whether these vessels become the backbone of a new long haul commodity trade or remain a specialised part of the gas fleet will depend on how quickly production, infrastructure and end user demand move from plans to sustained volumes over the second half of the decade.

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