QatarEnergy on Monday, signed a monumental $6 billion agreement with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) to construct 18 cutting-edge QC-Max size LNG carriers, marking a significant phase in its extensive LNG fleet expansion programme.
This event was formalised in Beijing and was attended by top executives and officials from both Qatar and China, including Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and the President and CEO of QatarEnergy.
Each of these vessels will have a massive capacity of 271,000 cubic meters, making them the largest of their kind. The construction will be carried out at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard, a CSSC subsidiary. These ships are scheduled for delivery in two batches—eight ships by 2028 and 2029, and the remaining ten by 2030 and 2031.
The agreement not only underscores the ongoing cooperation between Doha and Beijing in the energy sector but also sets a new record as the industry’s largest single shipbuilding contract. In his remarks, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi emphasised that this collaboration continues to strengthen their commitment to providing safe and reliable energy sources, highlighting the environmental sustainability of these new vessels.
This deal follows recent news of QatarEnergy’s expanded shipping and production capabilities, including additional contracts with South Korean and other Chinese shipyards as part of their larger strategy to significantly boost LNG production through their North Field expansion.
Separately, today Al-Kaabi met with the heads of three Chinese energy companies: CNPC, Sinopec and CNOOC. The former two are partners in Qatar’s North Field Expansion projects and have signed 27-year LNG sales and purchase agreements.
