Chinese shipyards won record number of large LNG carrier orders in 2022

China’s Hudong-Zhonghua and three other compatriot yards won a record number of orders for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers this year, boosted by international orders and the giant QatarEnergy shipbuilding program.

Based on data from Hudong-Zhonghua, DSIC, Jiangnan, Yangzijiang, and shipbuilding sources, LNG Prime estimates that these yards won in total 51 orders for large LNG carriers this year up to date.

Hudong-Zhonghua won the majority of these orders or 37, followed by DSIC and Jiangnan with six, each, and two orders at Yangzijiang.

Under the giant QatarEnergy program, Hudong-Zhonghua booked orders for seven LNG carriers with Japan’s MOL, and five LNG carriers with a consortium of Japan’s NYK, K Line, Malaysia’s MISC, and China LNG Shipping.

MOL also ordered three LNG carriers at Hudong-Zhonghua for charter to ENN and teamed up for six LNG carriers for CNOOC charter while NYK also ordered six LNG carriers that will serve CNOOC.

Other contracts include orders by CSSC Shipping and COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation.

Three new yards

Besides Hudong-Zhonghua, DSIC won its first large LNG carrier this year and it will in total build six LNG carriers for China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), a unit of China Merchants Group.

This is the case with Jiangan as well who will build six LNG carriers for a unit of UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (Adnoc).

The latest Chinese shipbuilder to join the large LNG carrier sector is Yangzijiang Shipbuilding who will construct two LNG carriers for Germany’s Hammonia Reederei.

China Merchants Heavy Industries in Jiangsu (CMHI Jiangsu) could also join these yards soon with an order from Denmark’s Celsius Tankers, according to shipbuilding sources.

All of these confirmed orders are worth more than $10 billion as prices for LNG carriers surged during the last year.

The latest large LNG carrier orders in China were reported with a price tag of about $235 million while those in South Korea were about $250 million.

All of the large LNG carriers ordered in China will feature GTT’s tech.

The French LNG containment giant previously said it received record 134 orders in the January-September period of this year, with most of them coming from South Korea but with a rising share from China.

The January-September orders almost doubled compared to the 68 orders for the entire 2021, GTT said.

More than 160 LNG carrier orders

There were more than 160 LNG carrier orders in South Korea and China up to date and the year could end above 170 carriers.

DSME reported record 38 LNG carrier orders this year while Samsung Heavy won 36 orders. KSOE and its units received 42 LNG carrier orders and one FSRU order by the end of November.

Including Chinese orders, this puts the total to some 167 LNG carrier orders, a record-breaking year for the LNG carrier newbuild sector.

Most Popular

Monkey Island LNG selects ConocoPhillips’ liquefaction tech

Monkey Island LNG has selected ConocoPhillips’ optimized cascade process liquefaction technology for its planned 26 mtpa liquefaction and export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

Italy’s Adriatic LNG to resume full ops by mid-September

Italy’s Adriatic LNG import terminal, owned by VTTI and Snam, expects to resume full operations by the middle of this month following the completion of maintenance activities.

Gasgrid says seven Inkoo regas slots booked

Firms have booked seven regasification slots at the Inkoo FSRU-based terminal for 2026 following the completion of the annual allocation procedure, according to Finland’s gas system and LNG terminal operator Gasgrid.

More News Like This

CMA CGM’s LNG-powered giant floated out in China

China’s Hudong-Zhonghua has launched the third in a new series of 24,000-teu LNG dual-fuel containerships for French shipping giant CMA CGM.

Cosco Shipping Development, MOL seal sale and leaseback deal for LNG carrier

Cosco Shipping Development, a unit of Cosco Shipping, has entered into a sale and leaseback agreement with a unit of Japan's MOL for one 271,000-cbm LNG carrier.

Another QatarEnergy LNG carrier named in China

Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua hosted a naming ceremony for another LNG carrier built under the massive QatarEnergy shipbuilding program.

Adnoc L&S welcomes new LNG carrier in its fleet

UAE’s Adnoc L&S, a unit of state-owned energy giant Adnoc, has taken delivery of the third 175,000-cbm LNG carrier from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard.