A 174,000-cbm liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier built as part of the massive QatarEnergy shipbuilding program has completed its trials in China, according to Hudong-Zhonghua.
The LNG carrier Limail completed the “two-in-one” trial and returned to the Changxing Island yard on December 7.
CSSC’s Hudong-Zhonghua said this is the fourth LNG carrier of the QatarEnergy shipbuilding program which includes the construction of 128 ships.
The shipbuilder recently delivered the 174,000-cbm LNG carrier, Hlaitan.
This was Hudong-Zhonghua’s seventh delivery of a large LNG carrier this year, setting a new record for the Chinese shipbuilding industry.
Hudong-Zhonghua delivered Rex Tillerson, the first LNG carrier built as part of QatarEnergy’s massive shipbuilding program, while its sister vessel Umm Ghuwailina joined the fleet in September.
These vessels are part of 12 conventional-size LNG vessels contracted with Hudong-Zhonghua.
State-run LNG giant QatarEnergy signed charter deals in April 2022 for these four LNG carriers with Japan’s MOL, completing the first batch of charter contracts awarded under its massive shipbuilding program.
Moreover, MOL and China’s Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation own the vessels and they will serve long-term charters with QatarEnergy Trading, a unit of QatarEnergy.
The vessels, part of Hudong-Zhonghua’s fifth-generation Changxeng series, are 299 meters long and 46.4 meters wide, and they feature GTT’s NO96 Super+ containment system and WinGD dual-fuel main engine.