China’s first 180,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, independently designed and built by China Merchants Shipbuilding Industry Group Co., Ltd.(CMI), a subsidiary of China Merchants Group, was completed in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu Province, ready for delivery.
The vessel, China’s largest of its kind, marks the nation’s growing capabilities in building high-value-added vessels.
China’s first 180,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas carrier is berthed at a port in Haimen District of Nantong City, East China’s Jiangsu Province. The port is a part of the Haimen Base of China Merchants Shipbuilding Industry Group Co., Ltd. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
LNG carriers are specialized vessels used to transport LNG at minus 163 degrees Celsius. They are deemed “the crown jewel of shipbuilding” due to the extreme design and construction complexities. Only a few of the world’s shipbuilders are capable of building such vessels.
China’s first 180,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier is 298.8 meters long and 48 meters wide and is made at CMI’s Haimen Base. It is equipped with a dual-fuel low-speed propulsion system, offering advantages such as low boil-off rate and strong environmental performance. The vessel is a testament to a major breakthrough for Chinese shipbuilders in building ships fueled by clean energy.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
