QatarEnergy bumps up orders for massive LNG carriers 

Middle Eastern liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer QatarEnergy has signed a contract with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) for the construction of six additional supersize LNG carriers.

The Doha-headquartered state-owned company’s massive shipbuilding program has been bolstered with the so-called QC-Max units with a capacity of 271,000 cu m, bringing the total number of such ships ordered by QatarEnergy to 24 and worth in total about $8bn.

Qatar already has more than 10 Q-Max vessels on a long-term charter with a carrying capacity of around 266,000 cu m (pictured), supplying Far Eastern, European and various other markets. The latest newbuilds, representing the largest-ever ships ordered in the LNG sector, are scheduled for delivery from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard between 2028 and 2031. 

The company’s LNG shipbuilding initiative is the largest of its kind in the history of the industry, with 128 newbuilds booked across multiple yards in China and South Korea.