SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore said on Tuesday it has secured its first order of the year, signing a contract to build four ultra-large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers worth a combined 1.5 trillion won ($1.03 billion).
Each vessel will have a cargo capacity of 200,000 cubic meters and measure 294.8 meters in length, 48.9 meters in width and 26.7 meters in height. The ships will be built at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan and delivered in stages by the first half of 2029.
Compared with conventional 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carriers, the larger vessels can transport more cargo per voyage, reducing unit transportation costs, the company said. They will also be equipped with features including a high-efficiency shaft generator and an LNG reliquefaction system to improve operational efficiency.
Clarksons Research, a U.K.-based shipping and shipbuilding consultancy, said global LNG carrier orders are expected to remain active this year as new LNG projects advance and demand grows to replace aging vessels.
Separately, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it has delivered a 22,000-cubic-meter liquefied carbon dioxide carrier to Greece-based Capital Clean Energy Carriers. The vessel, named ACTIVE, is the first of four such carriers ordered from the shipbuilder in 2023 and 2024.
An HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore official said the company plans to accelerate the development of environmentally friendly technologies as the market expands, while continuing to focus on securing orders for high-value vessels.
The company said it set its shipbuilding and offshore order target for this year at $23.31 billion.
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