The 2+2+2 order includes four optional vessels with a capacity of 20,000 cbm, according to several reports in China.
The contract was signed on February 19.
No other details regarding the order have been revealed.
Based on some recent orders for LNG bunkering vessels, the price tag for each vessel could be between $85-88 million.
This is the first order for LNG bunkering vessels for SeaKapital LNG, while Xinle previously built Anthony Veder’s30,000-cbm LNG carrier, Coral Encanto.
According to SeaKapital’s website, the firm was founded in April 2023 by Sabrina Chao and Kenneth Lam as an independent shipowning company, capital provider, and investment platform headquartered in Hong Kong.
The company leverages its founders’ extensive experience in shipping and maritime finance to provide capital and customized leasing solutions to global shipowners and operators.
The global LNG-powered fleet continues to expand, and more bunkering vessels are needed to satisfy the demand.
DNV’s data recently showed that orders for LNG-powered vessels jumped 103 percent to 264 ships last year.
Moreover, the number of LNG bunkering vessels in operation grew from 52 to 64 over the last year, with continued growth expected in 2025.
The significant gap between LNG bunkering supply and demand is expected to widen over the next five years based on the AFI orderbook.
DNV said addressing this challenge by developing the appropriate infrastructure for alternative fuels – both for vessels and bunkering – can create demand signals to stimulate long-term fuel production.
