Shanghai Shipbuilder Sets Monthly Delivery Record for Big LNG Carriers, Report Says

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, a subsidiary of state-owned shipbuilding giant China State Shipbuilding Corporation, has set a new record for the highest number of large liquefied natural gas carriers delivered in a single month.

Hudong-Zhonghua delivered Mihezem, a 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier it independently developed and built, to its client today, marking the third delivery of large LNG carriers this month, according to Shanghai Observer. The Shanghai-based firm will send a fourth such vessel tomorrow.

So far this year, Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered eight large LNG carriers, the same number as in the whole of last year. The company’s delivery volume is expected to reach 11 this year.

The Mihezem is a fifth-generation LNG carrier under the Changheng series, independently developed by Hudong-Zhonghua, the 55th built by the company overall, according to an executive. The Mihezem can store enough LNG to meet Shanghai residents’ demand for half a month.

Hudong-Zhonghua holds over 50 orders for LNG carriers, of which more than 20 have already started construction.

Having control of the core technologies for shipbuilding, the localization rate of components for this type of ship has exceeded 80 percent. This not only improves the vessels’ comprehensive performance indicators but also reduces their construction cost and time.

As an industry leader, Hudong-Zhonghua has helped grow the number of Chinese LNG ship suppliers to more than 130 from just over 20, forming a supporting market with a production value of tens of billions of Chinese yuan, equal to billions of US dollars.