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UK-based Avenir LNG announced the launch of Avenir Ambition, the first vessel in its latest newbuilding program, in a social media post on Monday.
CIMC SOE officially started building this LNG bunkering vessel in July last year, and it held a keel-laying ceremony in March this year.
This vessel is part of a second order CIMC SOE received from Avenir after it built four vessels for the small-scale company.
In 2024, Avenir LNG ordered two 20,000-cbm LNG bunkering and supply vessels at CIMC SOE.
The ship is the first in this batch of two.
The vessel will serve Vitol under a seven-year charter, with options to extend for up to 10 years in total.
It is expected to join Avenir’s fleet in the fourth quarter of 2026, while its sister vessel will join the fleet in the first quarter of 2027.
Earlier this year, Norway’s Stolt-Nielsen agreed to sell 50 percent of its interest in Avenir to Japan’s shipping giant NYK.
Stolt-Nielsen expects the transaction to complete in the middle of 2026, subject to customary approvals, including regulatory approvals.
The company launched an offer in March 2025 to buy Avenir’s remaining shares after it bought stakes from Golar LNG and Hoegh family holding company Aequitas.
