Keppel Finishes First LNGC For Stolt-Nielsen
The first of two small-scale LNG carriers ordered by Norwegian shipowner Stolt-Nielsen at the Keppel Nantong shipyard in China has been launched, the vessels’ Italian designer Marine Engineering Services (MES) said on July 23.
Stolt-Nielsen commissioned Keppel to produce two 7,500-m3 LNG carriers under a $80mn contract signed in May 2017. The vessels are capable of ship-to-ship bunkering and can run on both LNG and diesel fuel. According to MES, the first carrier’s launch took place on July 20.
The pair will be used by Avenir LNG, Stolt-Nielsen’s joint venture with Golar LNG and Hoegh LNG that is aiming to complete an LNG import terminal in Sardinia next year.
Avenir LNG had been due to receive two more small-scale LNG carriers from Keppel, but cancelled the order and selected China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (SOE) to build the units instead. CIMC SOE is also building two 20,000-m3 carriers for the Oslo-based company.