French LNG containment giant GTT received orders for 25 liquefied natural gas carriers and one floating LNG producer in the first quarter of this year.
GTT said in its financial report on Thursday that deliveries of these LNG carriers are scheduled between the first quarter of 2026 and the fourth quarter of 2027.
The FLNG, being built at South Korea’s SHI, is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2027.
Thses orders for 25 LNG carriers compare to 34 LNG carriers in the first quarter of last year.
GTT received record 162 orders for LNG carriers in 2022.
Strong LNG demand
Earlier this year, GTT’s chief Philippe Berterottière said GTT is expecting that there will be up to 450 orders for large LNG carriers over the 2023-2032 period.
Commenting on the company’s first-quarter results, Berterottière said that with 25 orders for LNG carriers and one FLNG unit, “commercial performance in our core business remains strong in the wake of an exceptional 2022.”
“Demand for LNG remains particularly strong, as evidenced by the two final investment decisions for new liquefaction plants made in the first quarter, which will generate additional needs for LNG carriers over the coming years,” he said.
The decisions are related to Venture Global LNG’s second Plaquemines LNG phase and Sempra’s Port Arthur LNG project.
Revenues rise
As of March 31, 2023, GTT’s order book excluding LNG as fuel stood at 289 units.
This includes 273 LNG carriers, 2 ethane carriers, 1 FSU, 1 FSRU, 1 FLNG, and 11 onshore storage tanks, the firm said.
Following cessation of activities in Russia, GTT removed from its order book 15 ice-breaking LNG carriers and three GBSs.
With regard to LNG as fuel, the order book stood at 69 units as of March 31, 2023. These are all containerships.
Moreover, GTT reported a 17.2 percent rise in its revenues for the first quarter to 79.9 million euros ($87.4 million).
Newbuild revenues amounted to 73.5 million euros, up 19 percent compared to the first quarter of 2022.
Berterottière said revenues for the first quarter of 2023 show a “strong” increase.
“Activity will pick up notably in the second half of 2023, benefitting of the growing number of ships under construction,” he said.
In this context, GTT confirms its 2023 targets and expects 2023 consolidated revenues of between 385 million euros and 430 million euros, Berterottière said.