The Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai has begun construction of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier. According to China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), the QC-Max class vessel will be able to transport approximately 155 million m³ of natural gas in a single voyage, a volume sufficient to supply approximately 4.7 million residences in Shanghai for one month.
The vessel is an integral part of two contracts signed by QatarEnergy and CSSC, which provide for the construction of 24 ships and more than 56 billion yuan (approximately 8.3 billion dollars). The agreement is considered the largest single order in the history of shipbuilding in terms of value.
Each of the vessels will have a length of 344 m, beam of 53.6 m and draft of 12 m, in addition to possessing tanks capable of storing 271,000 m³ of LNG. This volume exceeds by approximately 57% the capacity of standard vessels in the segment, which normally transport up to 174,000 cubic meters.
The carriers will be equipped with the latest-generation membrane containment system called NO96 Super+. The system is designed to reduce the vessel's daily gas evaporation rate to approximately 0.087% and meet the most stringent requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) related to emissions and energy efficiency.
The construction of the vessels reaffirms China's leading role in the construction of large-capacity LNG carriers and establishes a new milestone for LNG transport on long-distance routes.
