A Russian project to build submarines capable of transporting LNG recently received official approval from the country's federal leadership while a new product tanker has been delivered in Japan. A South Korean owner has meanwhile selected a Chinese builder for the construction of three chemical tankers for global trade.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed official support for an ongoing project that seeks to develop nuclear-powered submarines specifically designed for transporting LNG.
Mikhail Kovalchuk, Director of Russian nuclear research facility the Kurchatov Institute, said the submarines are being presented as an alternative to traditional LNG carriers, which are unable to navigate year-round in Arctic waters without icebreakers providing escort.
Danish shipping company Uni-Tankers has expanded its fleet with the addition of a new vessel, the Marex Mia. The ship, which is owned by the company’s Japanese business partner Marex Maritime, was officially named at a ceremony in Japan.
The new vessel has a length of 130 metres and a cargo capacity of 12,500 tons. The company said it has been built with upgrades for improved energy efficiency.
DM Shipping of South Korea has awarded China's Jiangxi New Jiangzhou Shipbuilding Heavy Industry a contract for the construction of three stainless steel oil and chemical tankers in a series.
The three ships are scheduled to be handed over to DM Shipping between 2028 and 2029 under the contract, which has a total value of approximately CNY1.2 billion (US$170 million).
The ships will each have an LOA of 185 metres, a beam of 28.6 metres, a depth of 15.5 metres, a draught of 10.3 metres, a deadweight of 33,000, and dual-fuel propulsion systems that can also run on methanol.
As with other vessels in the DM Shipping fleet, the newbuildings will be deployed on chemical cargo trade routes encompassing South Korea, Japan, China, Australia, and Latin America.
China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has completed conducting sea trials of a new LNG carrier ordered by QatarEnergy.
The ship belongs to a series of LNG carriers that include the 2024-built Rex Tillerson, Umm Ghuwailina and Hlaitan and the 2025-built Limail and Al Tuwar.
Imabari Shipbuilding Group delivered the 52,000 DWT product tanker Nave Ohana on September 25. The vessel was constructed at the group’s Minaminippon Shipbuilding yard.
Nave Ohana measures 184.94 metres in length, 32.20 metres in width, and 19.10 metres in depth. It has a deadweight of 49,994 and a gross tonnage of 30,591.
