China delivers largest domestically built LNG carrier

China completed its largest domestically designed and built Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier on Wednesday in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, bringing the number of Chinese shipyards capable of delivering such vessels to five.

The vessel, named "Celsius Georgetown," was built by China Merchants Industry Haimen Base for Celsius Shipping, a Danish shipowner, as reported by Modern Express, a local media outlet in Nantong. It is the first vessel of a 4+2+2 contract, according to an announcement by China Merchants Industry.

The ship has a cargo capacity of 180,000 cubic meters, a length of 298.8 meters and a width of 48 meters, making it the largest LNG carrier China has built so far. 

Equipped with a dual-fuel propulsion system, the vessel allows for a low LNG evaporation rate and meets the latest environmental standards issued by the International Maritime Organization.

LNG carriers are specialized vessels designed to transport liquefied natural gas at ultra-low temperatures of -163 degrees Celsius. The extreme complexity of their design and construction made only a handful of shipyards worldwide capable of building vessels of this class.

The delivery of this vessel made its shipbuilder the fifth Chinese shipyard capable of delivering LNG carriers. China's influence in the sector is growing rapidly. According to S&P Global, among 292 active orders of LNG carriers, 85 are commissioned to Chinese shipyards.