Avenir LNG has returned to China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE) for a pair of 20,000 cu m LNG bunker vessel newbuilds.
The London-based outfit did not reveal the value of the contract but said the newbuilds would be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027.
The five-ship-strong Avenir LNG was set up in 2018, backed by blue-chip sponsors Stolt-Nielsen, Golar LNG and Höegh LNG.
The gas shipbuilding specialist of CIMC Enric has built four LNG bunker ships for Avenir LNG, including the first two 20,000 cu m units initially ordered by Stolt Nielsen Gas in 2018.
Avenir LNG said the latest newbuilds, which will boost the fleet by 80% in terms of total capacity, will feature new type C tank designs, lower boil-off rates, the latest engine technologies, hull form optimisation, and subcoolers which offer carbon emission reductions and minimises cargo losses compared to other vessels of this size.
“With the demand for LNG and BioLNG as a bunker fuel set to grow over the next decade, these vessels will play a vital role in ensuring security of supply and decarbonising global shipping markets,” remarked Jonathan Quinn, managing director of Avenir LNG
