QatarEnergy has recently inked a deal with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) to embark on the construction of 18 cutting-edge LNG vessels of QC-Max size. This agreement stands as a notable milestone in the company's ambitious LNG fleet expansion initiative.
The Chinese state-owned conglomerate signed a contract in Beijing with QatarEnergy for 18 superheavy LNG tankers. Qatar’s Energy Minister, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, said, “With a total value of almost $6bn for these ultra-modern, largest-ever LNG vessels by size, the agreement we signed today is the industry’s largest single shipbuilding contract ever”.
The new vessels will be constructed at China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSSC. With a capacity of 271,000m³ each, the ships will feature “state-of-the-art technological innovation and environmental performance”, according to QatarEnergy.
Al-Kaabi emphasized that Hudong-Zhonghua is presently in the process of constructing 12 LNG vessels of conventional size, anticipating initial deliveries by the third quarter of this year. Among the 18 QC-Max-size LNG vessels, eight are slated for delivery in 2028 and 2029, with the remaining ten scheduled between 2030 and 2031.
Al-Kaabi added, “It is our honour to continue working with China State Shipbuilding Corporation and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard to develop and build some of the top-tier LNG vessels renowned for their exceptional environmental qualities. And as we take this important step together, I would like to affirm QatarEnergy’s determination to live up to our commitment to provide a safe and reliable energy source in the form of LNG while always giving priority to environmental sustainability”.