China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC) has launched the first 175,000-cbm LNG carrier it is building for compatriot China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), a unit of China Merchants Group.
The shipbuilder has floated out the LNG carrier Sea Spirit on May 27, it said in a statement.
According to DSIC, the LNG carrier is 295 meters long and 46.4 meters wide, with a design draft of 11.5 meters and a speed of 19.5 knots.
The vessel features the latest LNG dual-fuel low-speed main engine with integrated ICER system, a reliquefaction unit, and GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system, it said.
DSIC said this is the first LNG carrier it is building for CMES. The latter has in total eight LNG carriers on order at the shipbuilder.
DSIC started building the first vessel in this batch in June last year and laid the keel in December.
In March 2022, CMES placed an order for two dual-fuel LNG carriers for $380 million, DSIC’s first order for large LNG carriers, and these vessels will serve charter deals with Sinochem.
After that, CMES exercised an option for two more LNG carriers worth $400 million, and added two more vessels in December 2022 with a price tag of about $470 million. These two LNG carriers ordered in December 2022 will go on charter to PetroChina.
CMES placed the most recent order for two LNG carriers worth some $470 million in May last year.
In March this year, DSIC held a keel-laying ceremony for the third and the fifth LNG carrier.
CMES is expected to take delivery of all of these LNG carriers during 2025-2027.
