Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co Ltd, a unit of the world's largest shipbuilder, China State Shipbuilding Corp, announced on Oct 16 that 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 five LNG carrier orders from Malaysia International Shipping Corp Berhad, Hudong-Zhonghua now has orders for 57 LNG vessels, or more than 21 percent of the global market share, making it the world's top shipyard by capacity.

The new orders follow Hudong-Zhonghua and MISC's January and February contracts 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 in the new orders are fifth-generation vessels developed independently by Hudong-Zhonghua. Designed for safety, reliability, 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 in the past two decades.

Source: China Daily