Beihai Shipbuilding christens two 310,000 dwt ammonia-ready VLCCs

Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry (BSIC), part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has held a naming ceremony for two 319,000 dwt ammonia-ready very large crude oil carriers (VLCCs) set to join the fleet of Belgium’s CMB.TECH.

According to a social media post by the China Ship Design & Research Center (CSDC), which was responsible for the design of the VLCCs, the clean fuel-ready duo was christened on November 4, 2025 at BSIC’s yard. They were named Atrebates and Eburones.

The newbuildings—which will reportedly be managed by CMB.TECH’s oil tanker brand Euronav—belong to the company’s “Morning Star” ship series.

Per CSDC, the newbuilds—classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)—are to feature an overall length of 339.5 meters, a beam of 60 meters, and a draft of 22.5 meters. They are projected to run at a speed of 14.5 knots.

Owing to the fact that they will be handed over with the readiness to be converted to run on ammonia, an increasingly popular clean fuel, the tankers are expected to accomplish ‘significant’ reductions in greenhouse