New LNG carriers have been delivered to two Japanese owners while two South Korean yards have secured orders from overseas customers. A recently signed agreement calls for a partnership's operation of an LNG bunkering vessel in the Mediterranean.
Samsung Heavy Industries has secured a KRW1.65 trillion ($1.2 billion) order for four liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and two crude oil tankers from an Oceania-based shipowner.
The South Korean shipbuilder announced the contracts on Monday, September 14. The four LNG carriers account for $1 billion of the total value, while the two tankers are worth a combined $200 million. The customer was not identified.
Each LNG carrier will have capacity for 200,000 cubic metres of cargo, compared with about 174,000 cubic metres for a standard design. Samsung Heavy said the additional capacity would allow an operator to transport the same total cargo volume with fewer voyages, improving efficiency per unit carried.
No delivery schedule or technical specifications for the crude oil tankers were disclosed.
Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) formally named a new LNG carrier during a ceremony in South Korea on Thursday, September 10.
The vessel has been named Fujin Sailor. Construction was undertaken at the Geoje shipyard of Hanwha Ocean.
The vessel will be delivered to Chevron to serve a long-term charter contract starting at the end of September 2026.
The ship is notable for her wind-assist propulsion units. MOL expects these units will help the ship reduce fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional propulsion alone.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) formally named a new LNG carrier during a ceremony in South Korea on Wednesday, September 9.
Toho Emerald is owned by T.K. LNG Shipping, a joint venture formed by K Line and Toho Gas' wholly owned subsidiary Toho LNG Shipping. The ship was built by Samsung Heavy Industries and is scheduled for delivery in October 2026.
K Line said the vessel is equipped with an ME-GA dual-fuel engine designed to operate primarily on LNG, allowing her to achieve highly efficient operation and contribute to the reduction of environmental impact.
Toho Emerald has an LOA of approximately 290 metres, a beam of 45.8 metres, a total cargo capacity of 174,000 cubic metres, and a speed of 19.5 knots.
The ship sails under the flag of Singapore. She is one of 10 new LNG carriers scheduled for completion for K Line before the end of Japanese fiscal year 2026 [April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, ed].
Oman-based Asyad Shipping Company has signed shipbuilding contracts with South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries for two medium-range product tankers.
The contracts are valued at approximately OMR39.89 million ($103.6 million) and will be financed through a combination of available cash and debt.
The two vessels are sister ships to six tankers ordered in July, with each having a deadweight capacity of approximately 49,999 DWT.
Asyad Shipping said the vessels will each enter five-year time-charter contracts with a global energy company, with deliveries scheduled for 2029.
Titan Clean Fuels, a company under the Molgas Group, has entered into a long-term agreement with French shipping company the Sogestran Group for the construction, charter and operation of a new 6,000-cubic-metre LNG bunkering vessel (LNGBV).
Titan is planning to operate the LNGBV throughout the Western Mediterranean.
The vessel will be able to load LNG from a series of terminals in the Mediterranean Sea and to offer LNG and liquefied biomethane (LBM) bunkering as well as gas-up and cool-down services to all types of LNG fueled vessels in major Mediterranean ports including Fos-Marseille, Barcelona and Genoa.
Titan said this positioning will expand the presence of the Molgas Group in the Mediterranean Sea by adding ship-to-ship LNG and LBM bunkering services to its already established truck-to-ship and broader onshore downstream LNG distribution capabilities.
