Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), together with its wholly-owned shipping arm Bonny Gas Transport (BGT), has placed a contract with China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding for the construction of three 174,000 cubic-metre LNG carriers — with options for a further three. The first batch is slated for delivery in 2029.
Nigeria LNG is a major gas exporter. Incorporated in 1989, it is jointly owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49%), Shell (25.6%), Total (15%) and Eni (10.4%) and operates a six-train liquefaction plant on Bonny Island, with a total capacity of around 22 million tonnes per year.
BGT manages NLNG’s existing shipping fleet and is responsible for chartering and acquiring new vessels.
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), is one of China’s leading builders of high-specification vessels for both civilian and military use. The yard has extensive experience in LNG carrier construction — having built China’s first self-developed LNG carrier, Dapeng Sun, delivered in 2008 — and now operates a highly automated, smart shipyard outfitted with 5G, IoT and robotic welding technologies.
The deal marks what is expected to be Hudong-Zhonghua’s first new LNG carrier order this year.
It comes amid strong demand. The shipyard has set new delivery records and backed orders of over 50 LNG carriers, with production projected well into the post-2030 period.
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