Chinese Builder Begins Construction Of World's Largest LNG Carrier

China State Shipbuilding Corp commenced construction on Tuesday on the world's largest and most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier.

The State-owned conglomerate said in a statement that the first in the QC-Max class, which has yet to be named, began construction at its Shanghai-based subsidiary Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, marking a milestone in a historic deal between CSSC, the world's largest shipbuilder, and Middle East energy giant QatarEnergy.

The two industrial giants signed two contracts in 2024 to build 24 QC-Max-class LNG carriers, with a total value exceeding 56 billion yuan ($8.3 billion). Combined, the two contracts represent the world's largest shipbuilding order on record.

According to information published by CSSC, each of the QatarEnergy carriers will measure 344 meters long, 53.6 meters wide, with a draft of 12 meters. Each vessel will boast a capacity of 271,000 cubic meters of LNG, about 57 percent more than regular LNG carriers, with maximum capacity of 174,000 cubic meters.

One of such carriers can transport 155 million cubic meters of natural gas in a single voyage, which can meet the gas consumption demand of 4.7 million households in Shanghai for one month.

Formerly known as Qatar Petroleum, QatarEnergy is a state-owned company that operates all oil and gas activities in the Arab country, cementing its status as the world's leading provider of LNG.

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding is a leading manufacturer in China of LNG tankers and is one of the few shipbuilders in the world capable of constructing such ships.

The Shanghai factory has manufactured and delivered dozens of LNG tankers to clients around the world.