Orders for 5 LNG ships have been placed, CSSC Hudong-Zhonghua has secured the top spot in the world in terms of LNG tank capacity

China News Service, Shanghai, October 16 (Li Qiuying) On October 16, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, and Malaysian International Shipping Company (MISC Berhad) officially signed a construction contract for five large 174,000 cubic meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships. With the signing of this contract, Hudong-Zhonghua’s total number of LNG ship orders has reached 57, accounting for more than 21% of the world’s share, ranking first in the world in terms of tank capacity.

From January to February this year, Hudong-Zhonghua successively signed construction contracts for the first batch of three and second batch of two 174,000 cubic meter LNG ships with MISC, laying a solid foundation for long-term cooperation in large quantities. From January to October this year, Hudong-Zhonghua has received a total of 15 new LNG ship orders, and the production schedule has been extended to after 2030, demonstrating its leadership in the field of international LNG ship construction.

The 174,000 cubic meter LNG carrier signed this time is the fifth-generation "Changheng Series" ship type independently developed by Hudong-Zhonghua. It is equipped with a NO96 Super+ cargo containment system, meets the latest IGC specifications and IMO emission reduction requirements, and integrates safety, reliability, green energy saving and operating economy. The ship type integrates a number of low-carbon and energy-saving technologies, has outstanding advantages in cargo storage and transportation, comprehensive energy consumption, and route adaptability, and fully meets the long-term LNG shipping capacity layout needs of international shipowners.

As a leader in the domestic LNG ship industry, after more than 20 years of development, Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered 68 LNG ships. Looking forward to the subsequent global market, the expansion of global LNG trade and the growing demand for natural gas as a transitional energy source in the context of carbon neutrality will continue to support the demand for new LNG ships. The competition among the world's leading shipping companies for LNG ship orders will not stop at the number of orders received, but will also extend to new generations of low-carbon ship types, new containment systems, full life cycle operation and maintenance services, and other dimensions. Chinese shipbuilding companies are moving from simply catching up on production capacity to all-round upgrades in technology, branding, and services. The global landscape of high-end shipbuilding will continue to undergo profound changes.