First Chinese LNG carrier taking shape

China’s is currently constructing its first indigenous LNG carrier newbuilding at Hudong Zhonghua shipyard at a cost of about $170 million. According to the shipbuilder, Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua shipbuilding (Group) Co Ltd, a subsidiary of the State-owned China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), sections of the LNG ship were moved into a dock late last month, where the blocks will be assembled. The newbuilding is scheduled to be floated out in mid-December for final outfitting and delivery is slated in November 2007. The shipbuilder has three other LNG vessel on order with one option still outstanding.

The 147,000 cubic metre membrane carrier will be used to transport lng from Australia to South China’s Guangdong Province, where a $846 million LNG terminal is under construction. The terminal, expected to go online in mid-2006 and will import more than 3 million tonnes of Australian lng annually to supply a number of regions including the towns of Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou and Foshan, as well as Hong Kong, via undersea pipelines.