On February 27, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., together with China Shipbuilding Trading Co. Ltd (CSTC), officially signed a contract with Malaysian International Shipping Corporation Berhad (MISC) for the construction of 2+2 174,000 m³ large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers in the second batch.
This marks another chapter in the deep cooperation between the two parties, following the signing of an initial order for 3+3 LNG carriers on January 30th of this year. The total order size now officially exceeds 5+5 vessels (with 5 optional vessels to be announced by the shipowner), fully demonstrating Hudong-Zhonghua’s core competitiveness and global market recognition in the large LNG carrier sector.
The 174,000 m³ LNG carriers signed in this contract represent the fifth-generation flagship vessel of the Changheng Series, independently developed by Hudong-Zhonghua. Equipped with multiple core low-carbon energy-saving technologies, the vessels can reduce daily carbon emissions by over 10 tons and achieves an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) at the forefront of international standards.
As a key player in Southeast Asia’s energy shipping sector and a top global shipping company, MISC Berhad’s consecutive additional LNG carrier orders fully demonstrate its high recognition and unwavering trust in Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s comprehensive strength, construction quality and delivery guarantees.
China is the world’s largest importer of natural gas. As the “jewel in the crown” of the shipbuilding industry, LNG carriers serve as the “arteries” of China’s offshore clean energy supply. Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered a total of 60 large-scale LNG carriers to date, facilitating the transportation of over 30 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas back to China each year.
After 30 years of development, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has reduced the total construction cycle of LNG carriers to a world-leading 16 months, defining “China Speed” with its core strength. With the continuous improvement of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s digital system, the deep empowerment of the industrial internet platform, and the implementation of lean production concepts throughout the entire process, the company has achieved a dual improvement in production efficiency and product quality, laying a solid foundation for undertaking high-end ship orders.
With a series of major orders coming in, Hudong-Zhonghua’s LNG carrier order backlog has increased to nearly 60 vessels, injecting strong momentum into the company’s high-quality development in the first year of the “15th Five-Year Plan”.