Flex LNG has taken delivery of Flex Volunteer from South Korea’s Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co five weeks ahead of its contractual schedule
With a capacity of 174,000 m3, Flex Volunteer is fitted with Otto-cycle, low-pressure, dual-fuel, two-stroke WinGD X-DF propulsion. “We thank the newbuilding team, the yard and the seafarers for yet another successful delivery ahead of time and on budget despite the obstacles caused by Covid-19,” said publicly traded Flex LNG in a social media post. Flex LNG is listed on both the Oslo and New York stock exchanges.
Flex Volunteer is the 12th LNG carrier in Flex LNG’s young fleet. One of the first deliveries of 2021 was Flex LNG’s 11th LNG carrier, Flex Freedom, built by South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. Flex Freedom has a capacity of 173,400 m3 and is equipped with diesel-cycle, high-pressure, two-stroke MAN Energy Solutions ME-GI engine. The vessel has two high-pressure compressors and a full reliquefaction system resulting in a boil-off rate of only 0.035% per day, reported Flex LNG.
Others in the fleet are Flex Enterprise, Flex Endeavour, Flex Ranger and Flex Rainbow, all delivered in 2018, Flex Courageous, Flex Constellation, Flex Aurora, and Flex Artemis, built in 2019, and Flex Resolute and Flex Amber, built in 2020. One newbuild is under construction, Flex Vigilant, due for delivery in May 2021.
Newbuilding activity
Flex Vigilant is one of 176 LNG carriers currently under construction or on order globally, representing a total capacity of 25,457,917 m3. Of those, six vessels have been ordered in 2021 with a total capacity of 1,044,000 m3, according to BRL Weekly Newbuilding.
Among those ordered in 2021 were two 174,000-m3 LNG carriers, both priced at US$186.5M, for Maran Gas Maritime. Each vessel will fly the Marshall Islands flag and have an overall length of 293 m, beam of 45.8 m and depth of 26.2 m. South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) will deliver the first vessel in October 2023, followed by the second in February 2024.
Additionally, Pan Ocean struck a deal with SHI for a 174,000-m3 LNG carrier, which will deliver in July 2024 for a five-year charter with Portugal’s Galp Energia.
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