BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. QatarEnergy has selected a joint venture between Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd. (MOL) and China’s COSCO Shipping LNG Investment (CSLNG) to own and operate six QC-Max size LNG vessels, TurkicWorld reports.
The vessels will be constructed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in China.
This deal marks the final batch in QatarEnergy’s ambitious shipbuilding program, which includes a total of 128 LNG vessels—104 conventional and 24 QC-Max ultra-modern ships. The long-term contracts were awarded during a ceremony at QatarEnergy's headquarters in Doha, attended by Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, and senior executives from both MOL and CSLNG.
Minister Al-Kaabi emphasized the significance of the deal, stating, "This is the last batch of long-term shipowner contracts in our historic shipbuilding program, which will support QatarEnergy’s LNG expansion projects and the replacement of parts of our existing fleet."
The MOL-CSLNG joint venture had previously secured contracts for seven conventional LNG vessels in 2022, bringing its total to 13 long-term agreements under QatarEnergy’s fleet expansion program. This new partnership is a key step in strengthening QatarEnergy’s LNG transportation capabilities.
