17 August 2026 – TMC Compressors has been awarded a contract by Hyundai Heavy Industries to deliver the marine compressed air system to a pair of very large ethane carriers (VLECs) that are being built for Malaysian shipping line MISC.
Illustration photo courtesy of MISC.
According to MISC, the newbuild 100,000 cubic metre ethane carriers will rank among the largest of their kind in the world. In addition to their primary role of transporting ethane, the VLECs are also capable of carrying ethylene and liquefied petroleum gas. The vessels are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2028.
TMC’s scope of supply involves the delivery of a complete marine compressed air system, including service and control air compressors, to each of the two vessels.
“From an air volume capacity or technology perspective, our delivery is pretty straightforward, where we will apply marine compressors that have proven their reliability on thousands of vessels. However, to be able to install our systems on board what will be amongst the world’s largest VLECs adds a nice and interesting dimension to this specific project,” says Hans-Petter Tanum, TMC’s director of sales and business development.
TMC designs compressors solely for marine and offshore use, meaning for vessels that spend weeks, months and even years without visiting a port. This will also be the case for these two VLCEs, which will transport ethane from the US to Thailand, according to media reports. TMC’s compressors are therefore designed to allows the vessel crew to maintain the compressors themselves, also while at sea.
“We obviously have the capability to fly service technicians with spare parts offshore or to any vessel worldwide, but our philosophy is to design and develop compressors that prevent such activity. That is why we only develop compressors for marine and offshore use, as opposed to land-based compressors that have since been marinized,” adds Hans-Petter Tanum.
Oslo-headquartered TMC has not disclosed the value of its contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries.