Dalian Shipbuilding starts construction of CMES LNG carrier duo

China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) has officially started building two 175,000 cubic meter LNG carriers (LNGCs) for compatriot China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES).

The construction began on March 1 and 4 respectively, DSIC announced, noting that the LNGCs are the third and fifth ship the company is building for CMES.

LNG carrier No. 5 is DSIC’s first ship of the new generation of energy-saving and environmentally friendly LNG carriers and will also be the “mother ship” of all future LNG carriers, according to the company.

For the first time, this ship type will adopt an innovative construction model of two-stage construction, DSIC pointed out, explaining:

“In the first stage, priority will be given to the parallel body construction of the cargo hold, the ballast tank program test will be completed at the dock stage and the construction of the cargo containment system will begin in advance to ensure that the construction period is guaranteed.”

“In the second phase, the engine room section and the bow section will be combined and constructed, which can greatly shorten the underwater construction cycle of the entire ship and ultimately realize the overall advancement of the LNG carrier node and form batch construction capabilities.”

To remind, on December 8, DSIC revealed it had held a keel laying ceremony for the first ship in the joint project with CMES and China Classification Society (CCS), and at the same time, a steel cutting ceremony was held for the second ship in the project.

The LNG carriers in this series have a total length of 295 meters, a molded width of 46.4 meters and a molded depth of 26.2 meters, with a designed service speed of 19.5 knots.

The vessels are expected to be capable of docking at most of the world’s large LNG shore stations, with excellent portability and ship-to-shore compatibility.

CMES placed the order for the first two LNG carriers at DSIC in September 2022 and for two additional ones at the end of 2022. Furthermore, in May 2023, the company signed contracts with DSIC for the construction of two additional LNG carriers and two Aframax crude oil tankers.