QatarEnergy expands fleet with six new QC-Max LNG vessels

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QatarEnergy said on Monday that it has signed a deal with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) to buy six additional ultra-large ships to carry liquefied natural gas (LNG), bringing the number of such vessels it has on order to 128 as part of a fleet expansion programme.

The state-energy firm said the QC-Max vessels are the largest LNG vessels ever built, with a capacity of 271,000 cubic meters each. The LNG carriers are scheduled to be delivered between 2028 and 2031.

“The signing of today’s agreement is underscored by the strategic importance of QatarEnergy’s historic LNG fleet expansion program and its commitment to maintaining a leadership position in the global LNG market,” said QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi, who is also Qatar’s state minister for energy.

The six new advanced vessels are in addition to 18 QC-Max vessels that QatarEnergy recently ordered from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard. The deal with CSSC takes the total number of QC-Max vessels on order by QatarEnergy to 24, worth a total of about $8bn.

QatarEnergy, already among the world’s top LNG exporters, will boost its position with its North Field expansion project, which will ramp up the GCC state’s liquefaction capacity from 77 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 142 mtpa by 2030.

The state-energy firm said the QC-Max vessels will enhance its capacity to meet the growing global LNG demand.

Read: Qatar strikes another 15-year LNG supply deal with Kuwait