On December 18, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, named and delivered the 174,000 cubic meter large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier ‘GreenEnergy Pearl’, 8 months ahead of schedule. This is the 8th LNG carrier delivered by the company this year, once again setting a new record for the annual delivery of LNG carrier by Chinese shipbuilders, iMarine reported.
The “GreenEnergy Pearl” is the sister vessel of the “GreenEnergy Ocean”, the world’s first fifth-generation “Changheng Series” 174,000 cubic meter large LNG carrier, which was completed and delivered in May this year. At the same time, it is also the second vessel of the “CNOOC’s mid- and long-term FOB resource supporting LNG carrier projec”. The delivery and operation of two large LNG carriers within one year marks a new breakthrough for CNOOC in the field of international LNG resource transportation capacity.
It is worth mentioning that after the “GreenEnergy Ocean” was put into operation, it immediately received the “Green Ship Award” from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The delivery of the “GreenEnergy Pearl” will further strengthen CNOOC’s “Green Energy” fleet, aiming to build a safe, flexible, green, and cost-effective LNG transportation fleet with Chinese characteristics. This will enhance China’s independent LNG transportation capabilities, increase its bargaining power and international influence in the global LNG market. At the same time, it is significant for ensuring energy transportation security, building a modern industrial system, and effectively improving China’s autonomous controllability in the LNG transportation industry chain.
As the largest LNG importer in China and the second largest in the world, CNOOC has always placed great emphasis on the transportation of LNG resources. Adhering to the principle of “domestic ships for domestic cargo,” CNOOC has partnered with China State Shipbuilding Corporation to jointly implement China’s largest and most heavily invested project, which involves the construction of twelve 174,000 cubic meter large LNG carriers.
The “GreenEnergy Pearl” delivered this name has a total length of 299 meters, a width of 46.4 meters and a depth of 26.25 meters, and is classed by American Classification Society (ABS) and China Classification Society (CCS).
The year 2024 is an extraordinary and unforgettable year for Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. The company seized market opportunities, consolidated strategic cooperation with the world’s shipping and energy giants, and reached a new high in the total number of operations undertaken in the two major fields of LNG carriers and container ships.
Among them, the most eye-catching is the contract for the construction of 24 QatarEnergy Group’s largest 271,000 cubic meters of super large LNG carriers, which not only created the highest record for a single vessel order in the world, but also won the world’s first place in total contract amount and transport cabin capacity of QatarEnergy’s historic LNG fleet expansion program, taking the lead in the competition with the world’s strongest rivals in high-end marine equipment.
As a leading enterprise in the field of large and ultra-large container ship construction, Hudong-Zhonghua has launched new ship types and recevived new orders, achieving twice the result with half the effort. This year, the company has received 5 batches of 4 types of orders for a total of 26 large container ships, of which the total amount settled in RMB reached more than 15 billion, creating the largest ship order settled in RMB in China, making new contributions to the internationalization of RMB.
It is reported that as of now, Hudong-Zhonghua has a total order value of RMB 150 billion. It plans to complete and deliver more than 10 large LNG carriers in 2025, creating a new situation of batch, normalized, standardized and rhythmic construction of large LNG carriers, and leading the high-quality development of China’s high-end shipbuilding.