Singapore’s first floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) has reached a major milestone in its construction and will not require dry-docking during its 25-year lease period after it enters service.
Hanwha Ocean recently announced the launch of a 204,000-cubic-meter class FSRU built for the Japanese shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). Scheduled for delivery in October 2027, the vessel will be chartered long-term by Singapore LNG Corporation (SLNG).
Measuring approximately 299 meters in length, the FSRU features a storage capacity of 204,000 cubic meters and an annual regasification capacity of 5 million tonnes. As Singapore’s first deployed FSRU, it will be stationed at Jurong Port.
SLNG emphasizes that this is the world’s first FSRU designed to operate without dry-docking for the duration of its 25-year charter. FSRUs enable natural gas supply without the need for massive infrastructure investments—such as the construction of onshore terminals—making them particularly suitable for locations experiencing sudden spikes in gas demand or areas where onshore facilities are difficult to build.
To meet the requirement for uninterrupted regasification over the 25-year charter period, Hanwha Ocean equipped the vessel with redundant systems and highly durable anti-corrosion coatings. The company conducted dozens of additional risk assessments and expanded the scope of 3D model reviews from the engine room to the entire vessel. Furthermore, dedicated spaces for independent maintenance operations and increased clearance for equipment servicing were incorporated to allow for the maintenance of critical systems while the FSRU remains in continuous operation.
Additionally, the vessel has secured multiple ABS SMART class notations, including the SMART MHM (Machinery Health Monitoring) notation for its main generators. This system provides real-time machinery status data to facilitate predictive and condition-based maintenance, moving beyond a reliance on routine, schedule-based servicing.
Under a long-term charter agreement with SLNG, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) will own and operate this FSRU; the construction contract was signed in October 2024, with a value exceeding US$400 million.
To date, Hanwha Ocean has built 12 FSRUs, but the vessel being constructed for Singapore is the first designed specifically to meet the requirements for ultra-long-cycle continuous regasification.