China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has begun construction of a new LNG carrier to be operated by QatarEnergy in collaboration with COSCO Shipping and Mitsui OSK Lines.
The ship will have a length of 344 metres and a total cargo capacity of 271,000 cubic metres. Systems will be installed to ensure a daily cargo evaporation rate of only 0.087 per cent.
The vessel will also have an IMO Tier III-compliant dual-fuel propulsion system and a streamlined hull design. According to Chinese media, it will be capable of berthing many large LNG terminals worldwide and will be suitable for a wide range of deep-sea routes.
The construction and acquisition of the new LNG carrier are in line with QatarEnergy’s goal of operating over a hundred vessels to form what it claims will be the world’s largest single fleet of LNG carriers.
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding will be among the largest suppliers of vessels under the fleet expansion plan, having been contracted to deliver a total of 36 ships including twelve 174,000-cubic-metre vessels and twenty-four 271,000-cubic-metre vessels.
The orders for the 271,000-cubic-metre ships have a total estimated value of CNY56 billion (US$8.3 billion).