China Delivers Its Largest LNG Carrier as It Seeks to Rival Korean Builders
China Merchants Heavy Industries completed the delivery of the country’s first 180,000 cbm LNG gas carrier. It marked a milestone in Chinese shipbuilding in a sector currently dominated by South Korea’s shipbuilders.
Named Celsius Georgetown, the vessel was part of an order placed in late 2022 for four ships, with an additional two plus two on the options. Work began in 2023, with Deltamarin contributing to the design. At 299 meters (981 feet), the ship is 96,000 dwt. She is registered in the Marshall Islands for Denmark’s Celsius Shipping.
Its LNG capacity is substantially larger than the vessels China has built to date. It also incorporates a dual-fuel, low-speed propulsion system with two MAN engines, and air lubrication for the hull. They report that the technology permits a low evaporation rate and high environmental performance.
The naming of the vessel took place on April 8 at the shipyard in Jiangsu, and delivery was completed on April 27. The yard worked with the authorities to complete the paperwork in time so that the ship could sail on the high tide. She is now underway to Singapore.
Chinese shipyards have been building LNG carriers, with the first from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in 2008. Today, four yards, Jiangnan Shipyard, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, and China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu), are capable of building LNG carriers and accepting orders.
Officials, however, call the new ship a “significant breakthrough” due to its size and the complexity of the vessel. While China took approximately 70 percent of global shipbuilding orders last year, South Korea has maintained a virtual lock on the large LNG carrier. South Korea’s builders have maintained about a 70 percent market share for LNG carriers, but now they are worried that China is working to expand in this sector. High-value and complex ships have been one of the last strongholds for the Koreans in the competition with the Chinese yards.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
China Merchants currently has five more of the large vessels under construction for Celsius, with the next ship expected to deliver in approximately three months. The contract will continue into early 2027. Other Chinese yards have also accepted orders for the large class of LNG carriers.