Reposted from the Hudong Zhonghua WeChat official account

5+5! MISC Project LNG Vessels Secure Second Batch of Orders

On February 27, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, in collaboration with China National Shipping Industry & Trade Corporation, officially signed a contract with Malaysia’s MISC Berhad for the construction of a second batch of two 174,000-cubic-meter large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers—bringing the total to two additional vessels, following the initial order of three plus three LNG carriers signed on January 30 this year. This marks another milestone in the deepened cooperation between the two sides. With this latest agreement, the total number of vessels under their joint partnership has officially risen to five plus five (with five option vessels awaiting confirmation by the shipowner), fully demonstrating Hudong-Zhonghua’s core competitiveness in the large LNG vessel sector and its global market recognition.

The 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier signed this time is the fifth-generation “Changheng Series” flagship vessel, independently developed and designed by Hudong-Zhonghua. It boasts outstanding advantages such as safety and reliability, green efficiency, and excellent economic performance. With over 20 core technologies entirely developed in-house, it has comprehensively reached world-leading levels in key performance areas including energy efficiency, environmental protection indicators, cargo storage, and operational economics.

As a key player in the energy shipping sector in Southeast Asia and a globally leading shipping company, MISC Berhad’s recent consecutive additions of bulk LNG vessel orders fully demonstrate its high recognition and unwavering confidence in the comprehensive strength, construction quality, and delivery reliability of Hudong-Zhonghua. The smooth signing of these orders further solidifies MISC Berhad’s leading position in the high-end LNG vessel market, laying a robust foundation for continued positive performance throughout the year. This also strongly underscores the international market’s full trust in China’s shipbuilding industry, highlighting China’s shipbuilding sector’s formidable strength and core competitiveness within the global clean-energy maritime equipment supply chain.

China is the world’s largest importer of natural gas, and LNG vessels—often referred to as the “crown jewel” of the shipbuilding industry—are nothing less than the “major artery” ensuring China’s supply of clean energy via maritime routes. The company has now delivered a total of 60 large-scale LNG vessels, annually transporting over 30 million tons of liquefied natural gas back to the country. These powerful clean energy supplies light up countless homes and warm cities through the coldest winter months, firmly establishing a “maritime Great Wall” that safeguards the nation’s energy security. Over nearly three decades of LNG vessel R&D and construction, the company has deeply cultivated lean manufacturing and accelerated its digital and intelligent transformation. As the “chain leader,” it has seamlessly integrated the entire industrial chain—from overcoming critical technological hurdles in the development of its first vessel type to achieving a leapfrogging growth rate of “sharpening ten swords in a single year.”Hudong Zhonghua has reduced the total construction cycle for LNG vessels to an unprecedentedly rapid 16 months—the fastest globally—thus defining “China Speed” with its robust capabilities. AsHudong ZhonghuaThe digital shipyard system is becoming increasingly sophisticated, the industrial internet platform is providing deep empowerment, and the lean production philosophy is integrated throughout the entire process. As a result, both production efficiency and product quality have improved significantly, laying a solid foundation for the company to secure high-end shipbuilding orders and continuously writing an innovative story of China’s shipbuilding industry as it moves from ‘strong’ to ‘excellent’.

Heavy orders keep rolling in, bringing Hudong-Zhonghua’s LNG vessel order book to nearly 60 vessels, injecting strong momentum into the company’s high-quality development in the inaugural year of the “15th Five-Year Plan.” Currently, Hudong-Zhonghua is vigorously striving to transform itself from a “globally significant LNG vessel manufacturing base” into a “world-class center for marine equipment manufacturing and technological innovation.” The company is extending its digital transformation—from the production, design, and construction stages—to the entire lifecycle, encompassing operations and services, continuously strengthening its core competitiveness in high-end vessel types and further solidifying its leading position in the field of LNG vessel construction.