SHI secures order for LNG carrier trio

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has won an order for the construction of three liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

The contract has been signed with an undisclosed shipowner based in Oceania.

The deal has a value of KRW 654.5 billion (about $579 million), SHI revealed in a stock exchange filing on 5 July.

The 180,000 cbm newbuilds are scheduled to be delivered by the end of February 2024.

The latest order brings Samsung Heavy’s current orderbook to a total of 51 vessels, representing 71 per cent of the shipbuilder’s annual order target of $9.1 billion, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Meanwhile, SHI is accelerating the development and commercialization of the world’s first fuel cell-powered LNG carrier.

Several days ago, the Korean shipbuilder received an approval in principle (AIP) from classification society DNV for the world’s first large cargo ship powered by solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) running on LNG.

Since 2020, SHI is working together with Bloom Energy on the design and development of fuel cell-powered vessels in an effort to contribute to more sustainable shipping industry.