China to build its sixth LNG carrier

China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co has secured an order for a 147,000 cu.m liquefied natural gas carrier to serve Shanghai's LNG project.The deal was signed on Sunday in Beijing

Shanghai Daily reports that the ship is expected to be delivered in October 2010 to carry LNG from Malaysia to Shanghai's Yangshan Deep Water Port. It will be owned and managed by Shanghai LNG Shipping Co, a joint venture between China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Co, Shenergy Group and China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

The ship will be the sixth 147,000 cu.m LNG vessel to be built by Hudong-Zhonghua, a unit of CSSC.

The yard delivered China's first LNG carrier, Dapeng Sun, in 2008. It was built within the framework of a cooperation agreement with what was then Aker Yards in France, the former Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Aker Yards (now STX Europe) provided the design -- which uses a No.96 membrane containment system (under license of GTT) -- as well as technical assistance throughout the entire construction and testing period.