Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua has launched the fourth LNG carrier it is building for compatriot Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation and PetroChina.
The CSSC-owned shipbuilder held the launching ceremony on May 30 for the 174,000-cbm LNG carrier with a working name H1834A, it said in a statement.
Hudong-Zhonghua started building this vessel in July last year and held a keel-laying ceremony in January this year, as part of a deal for three new LNG carries it signed with Cosco and PetroChina in December 2021, boosting the total to six LNG carriers.
This vessel is the fourth in the batch of six and the first from this contract in December 2021.
Hudong-Zhonghua delivered the first and the second LNG carrier under the PCI project, Shaolin and Wu Dang, last year, and the third carrier, Kun Lun, in March this year.
The shipbuilder plans to deliver these three vessels during 2024 and 2025.
All of the six LNG vessels feature WinGD X-DF dual-fuel engines and GTT’s NO96 L03+ containment system.
The 295 meters long ships each have a price tag of about $185 million and will serve PetroChina under charter contracts.