Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation’s LNG carrier, Ocean Inspiration, which will serve a charter deal with Sinochem.
The vessel was handed over to its owner on Wedesday, according to a statement by the CSSC-controlled shipbuilder.
The shipbuilder officially started construction on this vessel in August 2023, while the LNG carrier completed its trials earlier this year.
This is the first of two 174,000-cbm LNG carriers Hudong-Zhonghua built for the Sinochem project.
The LNG carrier is 295 meters long, 45 meters wide, and has a speed of 19.5 knots.
In May 2022, Cosco’s shipping arm signed shipbuilding deals for two LNG carriers worth about $430 million with compatriot Hudong-Zhonghua.
LNG Hong Kong, a unit of Cosco Shipping, entered the deals with CSSC’s Hudong-Zhonghua and China Shipbuilding Trading.
Under the contracts, Hudong-Zhonghua will deliver these vessels on or before October 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, respectively.
Following delivery, the vessels will serve long-term charter deals with a Singapore-based shipping unit of China’s Sinochem.
Hudog-Zhonghua noted that this is the second large LNG carrier it has delivered in three days.
The shipbuilder delivered the 174,000-cbm Greenenergy Star to Japan’s MOL and Cosco Shipping’s unit CSLNG on October 10.
This vessel will serve a charter deal with China’s CNOOC.
In adddition to these deliveries, Hudong-Zhonghua launched three LNG carriers on October 11, as it works to deliver over 10 LNG vessels this year.