China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) recently announced that it has successfully signed a contract with Qatar Energy to build 18 of the world's largest 271,000 cubic meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. This historic breakthrough not only sets the highest record for the amount of a single new ship order, but is also an important step for China's shipbuilding industry in the field of ultra-large LNG ship construction.

The LNG ship signed this time will be independently designed and built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation. These ships have a total length of 344 meters, a molded width of 53.6 meters, a molded depth of 27.2 meters, a designed draft of 12 meters, and use advanced dual-fuel low-speed engine propulsion and NO96 Super+ containment system. These advanced technologies and designs will ensure the efficiency, safety and environmental protection of ships during transportation.

Qatar Energy announced its high-profile 100-ship plan in 2020, aiming to build more than 100 large LNG ships to meet its transportation needs after the expansion of its upstream capacity. This time, China State Shipbuilding Corporation successfully obtained 18 of the world's largest LNG ship orders, which not only demonstrated the strong strength of China's shipbuilding industry in the field of ultra-large LNG ship construction, but also further consolidated its leading position in the international market.

The signing of this order marks that China's LNG ship R&D, design and construction capabilities have entered the ultra-large field from the large field in one fell swoop. The high-end ship R&D and design capabilities are moving towards the goal of leading the world. China State Shipbuilding Corporation will continue to leverage its advantages in ship design, construction and supporting services to provide more high-quality, high-performance ship products for the global energy transportation market.

This cooperation will not only promote in-depth cooperation between China and Qatar in the energy field, but also make a positive contribution to the stability and development of the global LNG market. As these ultra-large LNG ships are put into operation, they will help ease global energy tensions and promote the popularization and application of clean energy around the world.Editor/Cheng Liting