On February 27th, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, in collaboration with China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd., officially signed a contract with Malaysia MISC Berhad for the construction of the second batch of two plus two 174,000 cubic meter large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. This marks another chapter of in-depth cooperation between the two sides following the signing of the first batch of three plus three LNG carrier orders on January 30th this year. As a result, the scale of the cooperation orders between the two sides has officially increased to five plus five (five options to be confirmed by the shipowner), fully demonstrating the company's core competitiveness and global market recognition in the field of large LNG carriers.
The 174,000 cubic meters LNG carrier signed this time is the fifth-generation Changheng Series star vessel independently developed and designed by Hudong-Zhonghua. It features outstanding advantages such as safety and reliability, green and high efficiency, and excellent economic performance. More than 20 core technologies are completely self-developed. It has reached the world's leading level in key performance indicators such as energy efficiency, environmental protection, cargo storage and operational economy. With this signing, the company's LNG carrier orders have increased to nearly 60, injecting strong momentum into its high-quality development.
It is reported that Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered a total of 60 large LNG carriers, transporting over 30 million tons of LNG back to the country each year. The company has been deeply engaged in lean manufacturing and accelerating digital transformation. As a "chain leader", it has successfully connected the entire industrial chain, and has now reduced the total construction period of LNG carriers to the world's fastest 16 months. With the continuous improvement of the digital shipyard system, the in-depth empowerment of the industrial internet platform, and the application of lean production concepts throughout the process, Hudong-Zhonghua has achieved a double improvement in production efficiency and product quality, and is striving to advance from a globally important LNG carrier manufacturing base to a world-class marine equipment manufacturing and technological innovation center.