Some 50 guests joined Kumiai Senpaku to celebrate the naming of its latest LPG newbuilding in a ceremony at Japan's Namura Shipbuilding’s yard this week.

The 38,000-cbm, Hull No 453 has been named Hourai Maru, which is Japanese for Great Fortune, and is scheduled to leave the shipyard on 11 March.

Namura, located in the Saga Prefecture city of Imari, took slightly more than two years to construct the ship, cooperating with compatriot Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on the vessel's design.