Hudong-Zhonghua to double LNG carrier output by 2018

China’s only large-scale LNG shipyard will be capable of constructing seven to eight 174,000 cu m tankers every year by 2018 up from two to three at present, Song Wei, section chief of ship machinery research and development at Hudong-Zhonghua was quoted as saying.

The Shanghai-based shipyard has 14 LNG carriers on its order books, which is 10% of the global market share, said Song. Rising demand for LNG carriers is fuelling order growth, while Chinese design and technology needed to build such vessels is maturing, he added.

Hudong-Zhonghua is developing 220,000 cu m capacity carriers that are more suitable for voyages longer than 4,000 nm, Song said, perhaps with an eye on US shale gas exports. The company is also developing FSRUs with capacity of up to 270,000 cu m and FPSOs with capacity of 220,000 cu m , while looking into the market for ship-to-ship LNG bunkering.

Hudong-Zhonghua is set to face competition in the LNG newbuilding sector from other Chinese yards and last week Daian Shipbuilding Industry Corp (DSIC) got Approval in Principle from Lloyd's Register for a gas turbine LNG carrier design developed jointly with GE Marine.