Construction of 6th LNG carrier for COSCO and CNPC kicks off in China
Construction of 6th LNG carrier for COSCO and CNPC kicks off in China - Offshore Energy
Construction of 6th LNG carrier for COSCO and CNPC kicks off in China
Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has started the construction of the sixth liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier for compatriot COSCO Shipping Lines and energy firm China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
The construction of the 174,000 cbm LNG carrier H1836A began with the steel cutting ceremony on 17 April at the Changxing shipbuilding base. The vessel is the last in a series of six LNG carriers ordered by the two companies at Hudong-Zhonghua.
To remind, COSCO and CNPC placed an initial order for three LNG carriers at Hudong-Zhonghua back in 2020 which was followed by an additional order in June 2021.
The first vessel, Shaolin, was delivered in October, and the second unit Wudang in December last year while the delivery ceremony for the third LNG carrier Kun Lun took place in March this year.
A keel-laying ceremony for the fourth 174,000 cbm LNG carrier, the first unit in CNCP’s order from June 2021, was held at the beginning of 2023.
The LNG carriers have a total length of 295 metres, a width of 45 metres, a depth of 26.25 metres, and a speed of 19.5 knots.
They feature the latest generation dual-fuel low-speed propulsion power system and are equipped with advanced environmental protection solutions.
Related Knowledge Center: Liquefied natural gas
Driven by plentiful natural gas produced from shale plays, the United States began exporting liquefied natural gas in 2016 when the Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana opened and shipped its first cargo. Since then, additional capacity, or trains, have been added to Sabine Pass, and terminals have become operational in Cameron Parish, La.; Hackberry, La.; Cove Point, Md.; and Corpus Christi, Texas. The Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. LNG export capacity will reach 8.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by the end of 2019, making it the third largest in the world, behind Australia and Qatar. The tariff war with China has the potential to impact some final investment decisions for additional terminals in the coming months.