Building Lng News

Metals miner Nornickel said it will participate in the design and building of Russia's first dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) and diesel icebreaker to prepare for more capacity in the environmentally sensitive Arctic region.Russia, which has a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, has long considered LNG-powered icebreaking ships to develop the Northeast Sea Route into an international shipping lane from Arctic waters.Nornickel, the world's largest palladium and nickel producer…

Russia plans to build its first batch of icebreakers that are powered by liquified natural gas, a top official said on Friday, returning to an idea that was put on hold.Russia has the world's only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers. It is building up that fleet, hoping to develop the Northern Sea Route across its northern flank into an international shipping lane as climate change melts the ice."We are now returning to this topic (building LNG-powered icebreakers). I think that by the end of the year we will decide on the possible construction of two to four medium-sized icebreakers…

Novatek, Russia's largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), plans to use LNG-fueled bunkering vessels at is hubs to comply with stricter environmental regulations, the company said on Monday.Novatek is building LNG transhipment hubs in Murmansk, in North Western Russia, as well as in the Pacific peninsula of Kamchatka.Bunkering vessels are usually fueled by fuel oil-based blends.

China's energy giant Sinopec has started building storage tanks in the second phase of its Tianjin terminal project to receive liquefied natural gas (LNG), the company said in a statement.The plan for the second phase is to have five LNG tanks, with storage capacity of 220,000 cubic metres each, and a new berth for LNG vessels.After the project is completed in end-2021, the LNG receiving capacity at the terminal will expand to 10.8 million tonnes per annum from the current 6 million tonnes.So far, the terminal has received 11.21 million tonnes of LNG since the first phase of the project was la

The UK-based maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted approval in principle (AiP) to a quartet for an LNG-fueled VLCC design that uses a prismatic GTT Mark III membrane LNG tank.The AiP was granted to China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), CNOOC Gas and Power Group, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), and Gaztransport and Technigaz(GTT).The main objectives of the AiP include developing a specification for a dual fuel VLCC that meets the IMO’s GHG 2030 emission limitations and preparing the relevant design drawings.CMES and CNOOC G&P, with assistance from LR and GTT, also performed an economic analysis in terms of capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX).

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has announced that it has signed a contract to assist Russian shipyard Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex with the construction of icebreaker LNG carriers for the Arctic LNG 2 project.According to a statement, SHI is selected by Zvezda Shipyard as the partner for the construction of Arctic LNG carriers in Russia thanks to SHI's expertise and technological prowess.The two sides have also confirmed the establishment of a joint venture for cooperation on shuttle tankers where SHI has the highest market share, making it one step closer to the Russian market."A large-scale project for developing…

US project management services provider Bechtel has won the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts totaling $9.565 billion for the LNG export project developer NextDecade-led Rio Grande liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the US.The fully wrapped lump-sum turnkey (LSTK) EPC contracts include cost, schedule, and performance guarantees, NextDecade said in its statement.The EPC contracts are for the first phase of the Rio Grande LNG project, which consists of three liquefaction trains, two 180,000 cubic meter storage tanks and two marine berths.Each liquefaction train is expected to have capacity up to 5.87 million tons per annum of LNG…

Qatar Petroleum (QP) is expected to order 60 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers to serve new customers once it ramps up its annual capacity from the current 77 million tonnes (mt) to 110 mt after building four liquefaction trains by 2024.A report in Gulf Times quoted the Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, who is also president and CEO of QP saying that the state-run oil company has a team, which is in talks with different ship builders worldwide.“It should be between 50 and 60 vessels that we will require to transport the expanded output of LNG. It will be very substantial number, but things will become clear with time,” he said.He added: “We have a dedicated team of experts who are already working on that element (to acquiring vessels).

Singaporean conglomerate  Keppel Offshore & Marine said that it has secured new marine contracts with a combined value of S$300 million (USD 220 mln) through its subsidiaries. According to a press release from the company, the first contract is by Keppel Singmarine with Shturman Koshelev LLC for the design and construction of an ice-class LNG bunker vessel. When completed in 4Q 2020, the vessel will be chartered to Gazpromneft Marine Bunker Ltd (Gazpromneft) for operations in the Baltic Sea. The contract complies with applicable sanctions.To be built to the MTD 5800V LNG design, a proprietary design of Keppel O&M's ship design and development arm…

China would like to compete with South Korea in the field of building liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers building.South Korea has won 86 percent of the world's total orders or 52 orders for LNG carriers so far in 2018, according to Clarkson Research. The remaining nine orders were shared by companies from China, Singapore and Japan.Though China leads offshore engineering products and mega container vessel shipbuilding sectors, the country is a laggard in LNG shipbuilding.A recent report in the country's official media China Daily quoted Tan Naifen, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI) as saing: "The global demand for LNG carriers will continue to surge in the long term…

South Korean shipyards have seemingly boxed out rivals from the market for building large ships carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), winning all of the orders for the next three years worth more than $9 billion.Three South Korean yards - Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries - have won the more than 50 orders placed for new large-scale LNG tankers for delivery in the next three years, according to data from the…

South Korean midsized shipping company H-Line, owned by local private equity firm Hahn & Co, has ordered two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered 180,000 dwt capesizes at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI).A report by Yonhap, quoting the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries sources, said that the LNG-powered 180,000-ton vessels will be used on a route between South Korea and Australia starting from 2021.According to the Ministry, the bulk carriers will be the first LNG ships in South Korea to sail on a foreign shipping route.Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the world's largest shipbuilder by sales, owns 80.54 percent of Hyundai Samho Heavy.South Korean shipyards have outstanding expertise in building LNG carriers and bunkering shuttles…

Germany's Uniper on Tuesday said it favors a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at the Wilhelmshaven deep sea port on the North Sea coast, less than a week after peer RWE said it secured access to capacity should a rival project at Brunsbuettel go ahead."Wilhelmshaven in particular can be a suitable location, there are many arguments in favour of it," spokesman Leif Erichsen said in a written statement.He cited the port's ability to offer infrastructure for LNG vessels of all sizes and its proximity to the German long-distance gas pipeline grids and underground storage caverns in the norther

Malaysian-owned global shipping company specialising in the ocean transport of crude oil and refined products  AET Tankers and Shell International Trading and Shipping Company  formalised arrangements for the long-term charter of AET’s two newbuild liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuelled Aframax tankers. AET’s two 113,000 dwt vessels are currently being built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea and are due for delivery from Q3 of 2018. The arrangements will see Shell take both vessels on a long-term charter commencing in Q4 of this year. When operating in gas mode, the two AET tankers will emit up to 30% less CO2, 85% less NOx, 99% less SOx and 95% less particular matters, making them among the cleanest Aframax tankers in the market.

The maritime industry has taken a step closer toward ballast free shipping with the award of a new approval in principle (AiP) at Marintec China on Tuesday. GTT and Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. Ltd (DSIC) received AiP from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for their ballast-free shipping solution, a 30,000m³ B-FREE liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier design, which the developers say could combine environmentally-friendly features, increased efficiency and lower build and operating costs. “While we are still in the initial stage of the project and the design is subject to ongoing change, the initial results are indicating that we will meet our goal of having a ballast-free ship that is equal to, or better than existing conventional designs,” said Ma Yingbin, Vice Chief Engineer, DSIC.

Chinese Shipbuilding Group Yangzijiang posted a third quarter net profit of $130 million which is more than a tripling of its profits in the third quarter last year. The group also managed to exceed its target of $1.5 billion in annual orders. This caused the share price to hit a six year high at $1.64 and the group to increase its annual target for orders to $2 billion for this year and and $2 billion for next year. The group expects to construct and deliver up to 50 vessels each this year and the next in spite of increasing steel prices and the Renminbi appreciating against the dollar. Plans to increase capacity were announced that will allow the builder to attract more value added contracts.

In an effort to go green amid looming strict emission rules, South Korea will launch a pilot program to build the world's largest vessel powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), reports Yonhap. South Korean Ministry of  Oceans and Fisheries  said it will join forces with local shipyards, builders and state institutes to develop a class of 180,000-ton LNG-propelled vessels. The government launched a task force in January made up of local companies to develop the emerging marine transport sector to comply with the International Maritime Organization's sulfur cap on bunkers, set to be enforced in 2020. "This pilot program is aimed at building the world's largest LNG-propelled ship…

A steel cutting ceremony was held at Meyer Turku shipyard, Finland for the first of two Costa Cruises ships to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ship will sail in October 2019 with a sister ship following in 2021. Costa Cruises’ president, Neil Palomba, announced today that newbuild NB-1394 will be named Costa Smeralda, and added, “The two new Costa Cruises ships are a true innovation and set new standards for the entire sector. Meyer Turku CEO, Jan Meyer, said, “In the last two years…

Vard Holdings Limited (“VARD”)secured contracts for the construction of two LNG powered car- and passenger ferries for Torghatten Nord in Norway. The total contract value amounts to approximately NOK 600 million. The new car- and passenger ferries are designed for environmentally friendly operations in the Norwegian fjords, with a total capacity that is able to accommodate up to 180 cars and 550 passengers and crew. The ferries of Multi Maritime MM 125FD design will measure 130 meters in length with a beam of 20.7 meters, and will have a speed of approximately 18 knots. CEO and Executive Director Mr. Roy Reite commented, “I would like to welcome Torghatten Nord as a new client to VARD…

The hallmarks of a successful vessel operator are the same whether they are carrying liquid, physical or human cargo: A laser focus on safety, a twin commitment to customers and crew, and the vision to embrace and invest in the future. However obvious the bar, it is not easy to meet. “I don’t think there is any magic formula,” says Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum services, Crowley Marine Solutions. “The difference is that everything we work on regards providing a high quality of service to customers, pays off. In a rising market, it’s easy to do well.

The first liquefied natural gas vessel from the lower 48 U.S. states is on its way to China, according to a Reuters interactive map on Friday, the latest sign that the expanded Panama Canal is allowing U.S. exports to reach the world's top LNG buyers in Asia. Royal Dutch Shell's Maran Gas Apollonia loaded up with gas at Cheniere Energy Inc's Sabine Pass LNG export plant in Louisiana, the map showed. It passed through the canal earlier this week and was moving northwest up the west coast of Mexico on Friday afternoon.

The United States will ship its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo through an expanded Panama Canal next week. The waterway shaves distances between export plants dotted along the Gulf of Mexico and Asia to 9,000 miles from 16,000, allowing U.S. producers to better compete in one of the world's biggest gas consuming markets. The size of most LNG tankers had previously prevented them from squeezing through, forcing them to sail around South America instead. Royal Dutch Shell's Maran Gas Apollonia tanker loaded up at Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass LNG export plant in Louisiana and will arrive at the Panama Canal on July 25, according to Kpler LNG, a shipping analysis firm. Shipping data shows the vessel to be heading in the direction of Panama.

An increasing number of ships and vessels are using liquefied natural gas or LNG as a clean fuel to comply with the regulations laid by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) across emission control areas. LNG as a ship fuel reduces the emission of sulphur dioxide by 90-95% compared to the conventional petroleum fuels. This factor has propelled the growth of the global LNG bunkering market, says Transparency Market Research (TMR). The market stood at 70 kilo tons in 2013 and is anticipated to expand phenomenally at a CAGR of 63.6% during the period between 2014 and 2025. The overall market is projected to reach 22,540 kilo tons by 2025.