Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding secures deal to build five LNG carriers

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co Ltd, a unit of the world's largest shipbuilder, China State Shipbuilding Corp, announced on Friday it has signed an order to build five liquefied natural gas carriers, each with a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, which is expected to make it the world's largest holder of LNG carrier orders.

With the signing of the five LNG carrier orders from Malaysia International Shipping Corp Berhad, Hudong-Zhonghua now holds orders for 57 LNG vessels, or more than 21 percent of the global market share, making it the top shipyard worldwide by capacity.

The new orders come after Hudong-Zhonghua and MISC signed contracts in January and February for five 174,000 cubic meter LNG carriers. The Shanghai-based shipyard has booked orders for 15 LNG carriers in the first 10 months of this year, with its schedule full beyond 2030.

The 174,000 cubic meter LNG carriers included in the new orders are the fifth-generation vessels independently researched and developed by Hudong-Zhonghua. Designed for safety, reliability, green energy efficiency, and operational performance, they meet the latest emission standards and shipowners' long-term LNG transport needs.

As China's leading LNG carrier builder, Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered 68 LNG carriers over the past two decades.