Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), through two joint ventures established with India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has signed a charter deal for two very large ethane carriers (VLECs).

The 15-year charter agreement was signed during India Energy Week 2026, taking place at Goa this week, MOL said in a press release on Wednesday.

The two vessels will each have a cargo capacity of 100,000 m3 and will be equipped with dual-fuel main engines capable of operating on ethane.

The ship will likely be able to use cargo boil-off gas as fuel, improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions compared with conventional propulsion systems.

Construction is scheduled at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje shipyard in South Korea, with delivery expected from late 2028 onwards.

Following delivery, the vessels will transport liquefied ethane from the US to India.