On June 25, a signing ceremony was held in Shanghai for a project involving four 175,000 m³ LNG carriers, a collaboration between COSCO Shipping Energy, Shell, and Jiangnan Shipyard.
COSCO Shipping Energy stated that this project is not only another major collaboration between the company and a leading international energy firm, but also a key step in its independent expansion of the international LNG shipping business. It will help consolidate the company’s position as a global leader in terms of LNG fleet size, steadily expand international cooperation, and strengthen the foundation for its global business development.
The four LNG carriers, built by Jiangnan Shipyard, feature an innovative new-generation large twin-rudder hull design that significantly enhances the vessels’ hydrodynamic performance. They are equipped with the latest WinGD XDF 2.2 main engines—which use LNG as the primary fuel and integrate iCER and VCR technologies— low-methane-escape generators, optimized shaft-driven generators, and a reliquefaction system.
While reducing fuel consumption, these vessels significantly lower carbon emissions and methane escape. They feature low overall energy consumption, high cryogenic performance, and strong cargo-carrying capacity, with technical performance, environmental indicators, and reliability all reaching world-class standards.
The construction contracts for these four new vessels were signed on June 2. According to an announcement released by COSCO Shipping Energy on the same day, the total construction cost of the four LNG carriers is 6.445 billion yuan (approximately $948 million), and they are expected to be delivered between 2029 and 2030.
To date, Jiangnan Shipyard has secured orders for 10 LNG carriers this year.
On January 15, Jiangnan Shipyard signed a contract with Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping to build two 175,000 m³ LNG carriers. This marks the first publicly announced LNG carrier order secured by a Chinese shipyard in 2026.
On January 30, Jiangnan Shipyard secured another order for four 175,000 m³ LNG carriers, scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2029. Minsheng Financial Leasing will serve as the shipowner for this batch of LNG carriers, which will also be chartered by Shell upon delivery.