KSOE clinches first LNG carrier contract of the year

A 200,000-cubic-meter-class LNG carrier built and delivered by HD Hyundai in 2022 [HD HYUNDAI]

Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) clinched a 971.4-billion-won ($784.4 million) order to build three supersized liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers for an Oceanian shipper, the company announced Tuesday, in the first order of 2023.

The carriers, with a volume of 200,000 cubic meters each, will be 299.8 meters (983.5 feet) long, 48.9 meters wide and 26.9 meters high, and will be built at KSOE’s shipyard in Ulsan to be gradually delivered to the shipper starting in the first half of 2026.

With the contract, KSOE, a subsidiary of shipbuilding, oil refining and machinery conglomerate HD Hyundai, scored the world’s first order this year for the supersized LNG carriers.

KSOE received the most orders for LNG carriers last year out of any company worldwide, with 44 ships out of the total 173 ships ordered last year.

“Order inquiries for LNG carriers have been continuing since the start of the new year,” said a spokesperson for KSOE. “We will focus on winning orders for eco-friendly, high value-added ships such as LNG carriers this year to strengthen our profitability.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]