Engine specifications set 'for nearly half' of Qatar's next round of LNG carrier orders

Swiss-headquartered WinGD said the number of engines it received orders for in the first phase of newbuildings in 2023 will be eclipsed in 2024. 

The company said its projection is "based on initial decisions" by the state-owned energy company.

QatarEnergy is believed to have increased the number of shipbuilding slots it has reserved at Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding shipyards, with reservations for its second newbuilding phase currently totalling 40 slots, according to multiple reports.

The company signalled the start of its second round of newbuilding orders by signing a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries in September 2023 for 17 LNG carriers, worth US$3.9Bn. Together with the more than 60 ships contracted in phase one, the agreement brought the estimated total number of confirmed LNG vessels set for delivery to QatarEnergy and its affiliates to around 80 or more.

QatarEnergy’s LNG shipbuilding programme will support its expanding LNG production capacity from the North Field LNG expansion in the Middle East and Golden Pass LNG export projects in the US as well as its long-term fleet replacement requirements.

Some 49M tonnes per annum (mta) of new capacity is considered likely to come online during 2027 and 2028, increasing Qatar’s liquefaction volume from 77 mta to 126 mta, and requiring more than 90 LNG carriers holding an average of 170,000-m³ of cargo capacity to transport. QatarEnergy also plans to offtake 70% of the capacity from the US’ Golden Pass LNG project, with the remaining 30% to be marketed by ExxonMobil. In total, Qatar reserved 151 newbuilding slots across Asian shipyards to meet its upcoming cargo transport needs.

WinGD said it is "expecting to secure the majority of dual-fuel engine orders for LNG carriers being built in the second phase of QatarEnergy’s newbuilding project". The company called its engines "the preferred choice" for "most vessels", noting it had received orders to supply engines for 25 vessels in the first phase of ship orders.