Construction begins on new 174,000cbm LNG carrier for QatarEnergy

China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has begun construction of a new LNG carrier ordered by QatarEnergy as part of its fleet upgrade project.

Designed by Hudong-Zhonghua, the ship will be a sister of Rex Tillerson, Umm Ghuwailina and Hlaitan, which were handed over to QatarEnergy in 2024, and Limail and Al Tuwar, which were delivered earlier this year.

The acquisition of the new ships is 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.

Upon completion, the new LNG carrier will have an LOA of 299 metres, a beam of 46.4 metres, a depth of 26.25 metres, and a total cargo capacity of 174,000 cubic metres. The ship will also feature a twin-skeg design as well as other systems for improving hydrodynamics and reducing carbon emissions.

The ship will be powered by a dual-fuel diesel engine equipped with an intelligent control by exhaust recycling (ICER) system, which can help reduce methane slip in gas mode as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

By cooling and recirculating the exhaust gas, the ICER system allows some of the methane in the exhaust gas to be re-combusted, thus further reducing the ship's emissions.