On the morning of July 19th, the naming ceremony for the 7,200 m³ dual-fuel LEG carrier (S1064), designed and built by Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore ＆ Engineering Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "CIMC SOE") for the German Hartmann Group, was successfully held at the East Wharf of CIMC SOE.
Mrs. Ikio, the ship's godmother, Mr. Ulrich Adami, Managing Director of Hartmann Group, Captain Stefan Hey of S1064, representatives from the charterer Marubeni including Mr. Onishi and Mr. Han Zhenghua, DNV Global Vice President Chen Keng, GasChem General Manager Thomas Schmidt, maritime broker Andreas Carlsen from Sixtus Shipping, Seaboard Marine Vice President Dusko Pesic, Mr. Gao Wenbao, Vice President of CIMC ENRIC and General Manager of CIMC SOE, Deputy General Manager Lou Jiwei, and Deputy General Manager Zhou Lubing of CIMC SOE together with other leaders, guests, and project team representatives witnessed the naming ceremony on site.
During the ceremony, Deputy General Manager Lou Jiwei of CIMC SOE delivered a speech, expressing deep respect for all colleagues involved in the design and construction of S1064, while also thanking the Hartmann Group for their trust in our team, and DNV for their strong support. The naming of this vessel symbolizes our high hopes for it. We expect it to transport ethylene safely and efficiently across the world's seas, making a positive contribution to global energy supply and environmental protection.
Mr. Ulrich Adami, General Manager of Hartmann Group, expressed his great honor in participating in the naming ceremony, thanking all partners for their presence and all personnel involved in the construction of this project. Through innovative design, S1064 has increased its cargo capacity without increasing size, reducing energy consumption and emissions, highlighting the trend toward clean transportation. Finally, Adami sincerely thanked the godmother and wished the ship a smooth start to its new journey.
DNV Vice President Chen Keng expressed great honor as a representative of DNV to celebrate the naming of this new ship. He thanked CIMC SOE and Hartmann for their trust, emphasizing DNV's commitment to safe delivery. The delivery of "Gaschem Alster" demonstrated SOE's strength in the ethylene carrier market, looking forward to witnessing great achievements of the ship during its successful operations in the future.
Godmother Mrs. Ikio expressed her great honor in being the godmother of this ship and naming it, while thanking Mr. Adami and his supervision team, as well as the SOE construction crew for their efforts. This was not only a celebration of the birth of "GasChem Alster," but also an embodiment of the spirit of innovation and cooperation, wishing "GasChem Alster" smooth sailing in its future journeys.
Following this, a spectacular lion dance performance added a festive atmosphere to the ceremony. Vice President Gao Wenbao of CIMC ENRIC and General Manager of CIMC SOE, together with Godmother Ikio, performed the eye-dotting ritual for the lion, symbolizing prosperity in business and smooth sailing for S1064. After the eye-dotting, the godmother cut the rope with golden scissors, sending the best wishes for the new ship.
At the end of the ceremony, attendees toured various parts of S1064, where Godmother Ikio sounded the ship's whistle in the bridge herself. The clear sound of the whistle echoed through the sky, symbolizing the official departure of the 7,200 m³ dual-fuel LEG carrier by CIMC SOE into broader oceans.
In the afternoon, the leaders moved to the ninth-floor conference room for the formal ship delivery signing ceremony. In a solemn atmosphere, both parties solemnly signed the ship delivery documents, marking the successful cooperation between CIMC SOE and Hartmann Group and laying a solid foundation for further collaboration in the future.
The LEG (Liquefied Ethylene Gas) carrier, as a new eco-friendly ship type, has received widespread attention in the shipping industry in recent years. The delivered vessel "GASCHEM ALSTER," equipped with a dual-fuel engine, not only meets the latest emission requirements but also significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions during transportation, demonstrating its advantages in environmental protection. With increasingly stringent environmental regulations and growing demand for clean energy ships, the LEG carrier, as a clean energy transportation tool, will play a significant role in green shipping development with its environmental, economic, and technical advantages.
In the future, with the continuous growth of global trade and the impetus of technological innovation, there is tremendous potential for development in the shipbuilding industry. CIMC SOE will seize opportunities, continuously strengthen technological innovation and industrial upgrading, improve the environmental performance and intelligence level of vessels, while also enhancing international cooperation and exchanges, providing higher-quality marine engineering products and services to global customers.
