On May 6, Sinopec (Beijing) Clean Energy unveiled the tender award results for its 2026 LNG bunkering vessel project. Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE) has secured the shipbuilding contract. The total tax-included bid price stands at RMB 565 million (around USD 83 million), while the tax-exclusive evaluated price is RMB 500 million.
This year, CIMC SOE has confirmed orders for two 20,000 m³ LNG carriers and one 18,900 m³ LNG carrier. The 20,000 m³ LNG carriers were ordered by GSX Energy, bringing the total number of LNG carriers of this size in CIMC SOE’s fleet to four.
In addition to the above orders, reports in March indicated that Capital Group and CMA CGM had signed a letter of intent (LOI) with CIMC SOE for the construction of two LNG bunkering vessels; industry estimates suggest the new vessels will be of the 20,000 m³ class.
According to data disclosed by CIMC SOE in early February, the shipbuilder currently has orders for 10 20,000 m³ LNG bunkering vessels and 3 18,900 m³ LNG bunkering vessels.
In addition to LNG bunkering vessels, on April 30, Euroseas announced that it had placed an order with CIMC SOE for 2+2 1,800-TEU container ships at a price of $32.5 million per vessel. The first two vessels are expected to be delivered in June and September 2028. Excluding the contract awarded in this announcement, the shipbuilder has secured orders for 5+2 new vessels and two letters of intent so far this year.
Founded in 2006, CIMC SOE joined CIMC Enric Holdings Limited (CIMC Enric) in August 2017. The company specializes in the construction of high-end equipment, including liquefied gas carriers and liquid cargo systems, LNG/LEG/LPG cargo tanks and fuel tanks, offshore engineering modules, and offshore wind power equipment. As of the end of 2024, the company has delivered more than 40 vessels, including various types of liquefied gas carriers and LNG bunkering vessels.
Currently, CIMC SOE’s order backlog includes a wide range of vessel types, such as LPG carriers, LNG bunkering vessels, container ships, offshore support vessels (PSV/OSV), and high-specification reefer ships.