LPG Tanker Shipbuilders

LPG tankers represent one of the most specialized branches of modern shipbuilding. They move liquefied petroleum gas - mainly propane and butane - from export terminals and fractionation plants to import terminals, storage hubs, and coastal distribution networks. Unlike crude or product tankers, these ships are built around independent cargo tanks that keep gas either chilled, pressurized, or both, within the limits set by the IMO’s International Gas Carrier (IGC) Code. The hull supports and protects the tanks, but the cargo itself is separated from the ship’s structure by insulation, secondary barriers, and layers of monitoring and safety systems.

Because LPG can be carried at different combinations of temperature and pressure, one LPG tanker can look very different from another. Small coastal ships with steel pressure vessels, flexible semi-refrigerated traders serving multiple terminals, and deep-sea VLGCs carrying tens of thousands of cubic meters all sit inside the same family. For shipbuilders, this means LPG projects are less about a generic tanker hull and more about matching containment, cargo handling, and propulsion concepts to the trades and terminals the vessel will serve.

Types of LPG Carriers, Cargo Tank Designs and Global Shipbuilding Centers

Modern LPG fleets are usually described in terms of cargo condition, tank type, and size segment. Each combination lines up with a different trade pattern.

Fully pressurized LPG carriers

These are the compact vessels of regional gas distribution.

• Typical capacity: roughly 1,000-3,000 m³.
• Cargo is carried at ambient temperature and high pressure in Type C cylindrical or spherical tanks.
• Ships load and discharge at pressurized terminals or via ship-to-truck and ship-to-shore units, often calling at smaller ports where draft, quay length and shore pipelines are limited.

Their appeal lies in simplicity: robust pressure vessels, straightforward systems, and short voyage patterns.

Semi-pressurized / semi-refrigerated carriers

The middle tier prioritizes flexibility.

• Typical capacity: about 6,000-12,000 m³, sometimes larger.
• Type C tanks again, but with refrigeration and reliquefaction to handle different temperature/pressure combinations.
• Many designs are multi-purpose, able to carry LPG alongside petrochemical gases such as propylene or vinyl chloride monomer, shifting between pressurized and refrigerated terminals.

These vessels connect trading hubs and industrial clusters, often on regional or short-sea routes.

Fully refrigerated LPG carriers and VLGCs

At the deep-sea end of the spectrum sit the fully refrigerated ships.

• Typical capacity: from around 20,000 m³ up to 80,000-90,000 m³ and beyond for Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs).
• Cargo is carried at low temperature and near-atmospheric pressure in large prismatic Type A tanks with extensive insulation and secondary barriers.
• These ships move big parcels of propane and butane, and in many cases ammonia or similar products, on long-haul routes between export complexes and major import terminals.

Here, optimization focuses on hull form, boil-off and reliquefaction performance, fuel consumption and emissions over long ocean passages.

Beneath these segments sits the question of where they are built. The global map is clear:

• East Asia dominates series production. Most fully refrigerated LPG carriers and VLGCs are built in South Korea, China and Japan, where large yards combine gas-containment know-how with high-volume hull construction. The same countries also supply a significant share of mid-size and semi-refrigerated tonnage.
• Compact and niche carriers are more widely spread. Smaller fully pressurized and semi-refrigerated ships are still concentrated in Asia, but orders also appear from selected European and other regional yards that focus on coastal gas distribution or specialized petrochemical trades.

Across these regions, shipbuilders increasingly position LPG designs as part of a broader decarbonization story: dual-fuel engines that can burn LPG, preparations for future ammonia fuel, and digital tools for monitoring cargo, fuel and emissions. When owners talk to an LPG tanker shipbuilder today, they are often choosing not only a hull and tank arrangement, but a technology path for the next 20-25 years.

Planning LPG Newbuilds

LPG newbuilding projects place tight demands on design, equipment and yard experience. Owners need to align containment systems, cargo flexibility, fuel choices and regulatory plans before steel is cut. Records Marine’s Shipbuilding section is designed to support that planning process by turning a scattered market into a more structured view of LPG tanker building companies worldwide.

To shortlist suitable LPG tanker builders, it’s useful to evaluate shipyards against a few key points:

• Carrier segment and capacity - from small fully pressurized coasters to mid-size semi-refrigerated traders and large fully refrigerated LPG carriers or VLGCs.
• Cargo and containment profile - whether a yard routinely delivers ships with Type C pressure vessels, prismatic Type A tanks, or mixed LPG/petrochemical arrangements.
• Fuel and future-fuel options - conventional fuel with energy-saving features, LPG-dual-fuel concepts, or designs prepared for later ammonia use.
• Regional presence - shipbuilding centers in Asia, Europe or other regions, matched to the owner’s preferred time zone, supply chain and supervision logistics.
• Regulatory and class experience - repeated work under the IGC Code and a track record with the main classification societies in the LPG segment.

Instead of building a shortlist from scratch, project teams can use our smart filters to narrow down a global shipyard landscape to a manageable set of LPG tanker builders whose profile fits the intended ship type and trade. Shortlisted yards can then be saved, compared and contacted directly through Records Marine when it is time to discuss outline specifications, fuel concepts or delivery windows.

For owners planning coastal pressurized carriers, flexible semi-refrigerated traders or large VLGCs, the goal is the same: align a technically complex gas project with a builder that has relevant experience and capabilities. Records Marine’s shipyard directory helps bring those options into focus, so LPG newbuild decisions can be made with a clearer understanding of the carrier types, tank designs and global shipbuilding centers that support them.