On January 21, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in collaboration with China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. (CSTC), officially signed a contract with a well-known Greek shipping company for the construction of 4+2 174,000 m³ liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.
The vessel type contracted this time is the fifth-generation “Changheng Series” LNG carrier independently developed and designed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. With the order for 4+2 new vessels finalized, the global order book for this vessel type has reached 45 units, setting a new world record for orders of this type of LNG carrier.
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has further optimized and upgraded this vessel design, equipping it with ice-class navigation capabilities while incorporating multiple low-carbon energy-saving technologies. It features low comprehensive energy consumption, excellent low-temperature performance, strong cargo-carrying capacity, and sophisticated operational control and maintenance.
The vessel utilizes the world’s most advanced NO96 Super+ containment system, achieving internationally advanced levels in key indicators such as energy efficiency index (EEDI), environmental performance, and cargo boil-off rate (BOR). It can reduce daily carbon emissions by more than 10 tons and has access to 120 LNG terminals across all continents, demonstrating excellent global navigability.
Hudong-Zhonghua stated that the project progressed from initial discussions to contract signing in just 56 days, fully demonstrating the shipowner’s high recognition of Hu Dong Zhonghua’s LNG carrier construction capabilities and the efficient collaboration between both teams. This marks a crucial step forward as the two parties advance their joint efforts in developing the global green shipping market.
This signing is of profound significance, marking Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s successful entry into the European market in the field of large LNG carriers, and demonstrating its recognition by mainstream European shipowners. It represents a major breakthrough in market expansion for the company, a leading domestic LNG shipyard.
This marks not the first collaboration between Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and this European shipowner. Between 2005 and 2012, Hudong-Zhonghua built eight bulk carriers for the company, establishing a strong cooperative relationship. This latest partnership further solidifies Hudong-Zhonghua’s position as a global leader in LNG carrier construction while providing powerful momentum for the shipowner’s transition to greener shipping capabilities.
So far this year, the Chinese shipbuilding industry has secured orders for 6+2 LNG carriers, a stark contrast to the “order drought” of 2025. On January 15th, Jiangnan Shipyard announced that it had secured an order for two LNG carriers from Singaporean shipowner Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS), marking the first LNG carrier order for the Chinese shipbuilding industry in 2026.