Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group Co. Ltd. (Hudong), a wholly-owned subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), has received an order for four new LNG carriers from Qatar Petroleum (QP). This is also the first LNG ship order placed by QP or any of its affiliates with a Chinese shipyard and the first with Hudong in conjunction with the April 2020 agreement to reserve shipbuilding capacity.
These four LNG carriers are the first in QP’s enormous LNG shipbuilding programme, which will meet future LNG fleet needs for the North Field expansion projects as well as existing vessel replacement needs.
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said: “We continue to push forward with our LNG expansion projects, and today’s announcement is yet another step in our journey. I am especially pleased with the signing of this order as it marks our first ever new LNG carrier to be built in the People’s Republic of China.”
“We are proud to contribute to the success story of the LNG ship construction industry in China. We are also confident in Hudong’s capabilities to execute this order, worth in excess of 2.8 billion Qatari Riyals, to the highest safety and technical standards and to deliver top quality LNG carriers that will facilitate continued safe and reliable delivery of LNG to the world.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hudong’s team for all the hard work to bring this order to fruition during these challenging times. I would also like to thank the leadership of our esteemed partner, CSSC, for their valuable support to this effort in line with our mutual desire to further strengthen the excellent relations between China and Qatar. I am very grateful to the Qatar Petroleum and Qatargas teams, whose dedicated efforts were instrumental in reaching this milestone.”
Qatar’s LNG production capacity will be increased from 77 million tonnes per year to 126 million tonnes per year as a result of the North Field expansion projects. Qatar Petroleum’s LNG carrier fleet programme is the largest in the LNG industry’s history, and it will be critical in meeting the shipping needs of Qatar Petroleum’s domestic and international LNG projects, as well as replacing parts of Qatar’s existing LNG fleet.
