A drone photo shows a liquefied natural gas (LNG) container vessel docking at a LNG receiving terminal of China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) in north China's Tianjin, Oct. 29, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese shipbuilders' liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker deliveries are set to reach a record high in October with four fifth-generation high value-added, high-tech LNG carriers being delivered, marking the first time the number reached four in a single month, the Beijing Daily reported.

The technological, efficiency, and quality standards of the LNG tankers have reached internationally leading standards, which indicates a substantial improvement in China's shipbuilding capabilities.

On Thursday, the 174,000-cubic-meter LNG vessel Mihzem, independently developed and built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp, was delivered. On Friday, another tanker of the same volume named Greenergy Moon, also independently developed by the company, is scheduled to be delivered, according to the Beijing Daily report.

According to a post on Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding's official WeChat account, the technological level of building an LNG carrier could be considered the "crown jewel of the shipbuilding industry," and "building LNG carriers is as challenging as constructing aircraft carriers."

Those two LNG carriers belong to the fifth-generation "Changheng" series, which are star products in the international market, the Beijing Daily report noted. The localization rate of the fifth generation of LNG vessels has increased to more than 80 percent, and a fully loaded carrier can supply Shanghai residents for half a month, the Beijing Daily report noted. 

The vessel integrates the world's latest design concepts, optimal technical equipment, and top-tier environmental performance. It achieves independent control of key technologies, significantly enhances overall ship performance metrics, reduces construction costs, and shortens the building cycle.

This series of vessels is equipped with the world's first reliquefaction system and a domestically developed exhaust gas recirculation system, which effectively reduces carbon emissions and LNG consumption during the voyage, improves energy efficiency, and saves costs for ship owners - making them very popular in the market, according to another report by the Shanghai Securities News. The LNG carriers also have a collision avoidance system that can automatically evade vessels in close proximity, significantly enhancing navigation safety and reliability.

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co has received more than 50 LNG carrier orders, with more than 20 under construction. The company is expected to deliver 11 large LNG carriers this year, setting a new national record for the highest number of deliveries in a single year.

Global Times