On January 17th, the 174,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier "Limeer," constructed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, in collaboration with China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. for Qatar Energy, was delivered four months ahead of schedule. This marks the beginning of a series of significant deliveries.
This marks the delivery of Hudong-Zhonghua's first LNG carrier in the new year, officially inaugurating the concentrated delivery period for LNG carriers in 2025 and signaling the launch of Hudong-Zhonghua's strategic initiative to double its LNG carrier production capacity. Currently, Hudong-Zhonghua holds nearly 60 LNG carrier orders, representing over 20% of the global market share. Notably, in 2024, it secured 24 orders for the world's largest 271,000-cubic-meter LNG carriers as part of Qatar Energy's "100-ship project," positioning Hudong-Zhonghua at the forefront of the project in terms of both contract value and gas-carrying capacity. In 2025, Hudong-Zhonghua plans to complete and deliver more than 10 large LNG carriers.
The "Limeir" is the fifth-generation "Changheng Series" 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier independently developed and designed by Hudong-Zhonghua. It is the fourth vessel of its type specifically tailored for the Qatar Energy "100-ship project" according to the technical standards for operating the world's largest LNG carrier fleet. The vessel integrates the latest design concepts, advanced technology equipment, superior environmental performance, forward-looking features, and the best practices from Hudong-Zhonghua's extensive experience in LNG carrier design. Measuring 299 meters in length, 46.4 meters in width, and 26.25 meters in depth, it features the latest generation of twin tail fin lines and is equipped with multiple low-carbon and digital technologies. It is classed by both the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and China Classification Society (CCS).
Throughout the construction of this series of vessels, Hudong-Zhonghua has continuously innovated and optimized its construction techniques and methods, fully promoted digital construction, and consistently improved lean production processes, resulting in progressively shorter total construction periods for each vessel. Since the delivery of the first vessel on September 12th last year, Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered a total of four vessels within just four months and five days, showcasing the remarkable "China speed" in LNG carrier construction.
《China Shipbuilding News》