On December 10, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and Jiangnan Shipyard, both subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), announced the simultaneous delivery of large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Delivers 10th LNG Carrier, Setting New Annual Delivery Record in China
On December 10, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding successfully delivered the fifth vessel “IDD AL SHARGI”, built for QatarEnergy’s Phase II project. This marks the company’s 10th LNG carrier delivered this year, setting another new record in China.
Yusmi Ismail, Head of the Conversion and Newbuilding Department at Malaysia International Shipping Corporation, signed the delivery documents on behalf of the shipowner, Cao Mingsheng, Business Manager of the Third Department of Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering of China Shipbuilding Trading Co. Ltd (CSTC), representing the trading party; and Wang Jiaying, Assistant General Manager and Marketing Director of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, representing the builder, jointly signed the delivery document.
This vessel is the fifth-generation 174,000 m³ LNG carrier of the Changheng series, independently developed and designed by Hudong-Zhonghua. Tailor-made to meet the technical standards of QatarEnergy, operator of the world’s largest LNG fleet, it integrates the latest design concepts, optimal technical equipment, strongest environmental performance, most forward-looking features, and the essence of Hudong-Zhonghua’s successive generations of LNG carrier designs.
With an overall length of 299 meters, a beam of 46.4 meters, and a depth of 26.25 meters, it features the latest generation twin-skeg hull design and incorporates multiple low-carbon and digital technologies and equipment. The vessel is classified by American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and China Classification Society (CCS).
It is understood that this vessel is the second vessel delivered under the project to be operated by a Malaysia International Shipping.
Jiangnan Shipyard Delivers Fourth Large LNG Carrier
On December 10, Jiangnan Shipyard held a naming and delivery ceremony for the fourth vessel in its series of large Mark III Flex membrane LNG carriers built for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the “AL SADAF”.
This vessel is the first generation of 175,000 m³ MARK III Flex membrane-type LNG carrier “LNG JUMBO” independently developed and designed by Jiangnan Shipyard in accordance with the latest international LNG carrier design concepts.
The vessel has an overall length of 298.5 meters, a beam of 46.0 meters, and an LNG cargo capacity of 175,000 cubic meters. This vessel adopts the MARK III Flex membrane-type containment system, with an evaporation rate controlled below 0.085%, meeting the latest regulations and rules. It features mainstream performance, reliability, energy saving, and environmental protection and its comprehensive economic performance indicators have reached the international advanced level.
In 2022, Jiangnan Shipyard, in collaboration with CSTC, signed a contract with ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S), a subsidiary of ADNOC, to build six 175,000 m³ LNG carriers. This order holds significant importance, as it made Jiangnan Shipyard the first domestic shipbuilder to undertake the construction of large-scale MARK III membrane-type LNG carriers at the time. Moreover, it pioneered direct collaboration between Chinese shipyards and international oil and gas companies in the field of large LNG carrier construction.
With the successful delivery of the fourth vessel in this series, Jiangnan Shipyard has successfully completed its annual target of delivering three vessels (H2701-2703) in 2025. The fifth and sixth vessels in the series are currently under construction in a stable and orderly manner. The three previously delivered vessels have demonstrated outstanding operational performance, having safely and smoothly completed 7, 6, and 3 cargo loading/unloading operations respectively.
The partnership between Jiangnan Shipyard and ADNOC L&S dates back to 2020. From the initial order of five VLGCs for AW Shipping—a joint venture between ADNOC L&S and Wanhua Chemical—to the direct order of six large LNG carriers by ADNOC L&S in 2022, and further to AW Shipping’s additional order of four VLACs and nine VLECs in 2024, the scope of collaboration has continuously expanded while project scale has progressively grown.