A joint venture encompassing Japan’s shipping companies NYK and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Malaysia’s energy-related maritime services provider MISC, and China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Limited (CLNG) has taken delivery of a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier built for QatarEnergy, as part of the Qatari state-owned energy giant’s massive LNG shipbuilding expansion quest.
QatarEnergy’s historic LNG fleet expansion program encapsulates 128 vessels , including 24 QC-Max size LNG vessels, which are part of the Qatari energy player’s efforts to sustain and bolster its spot on the global LNG scene.
Months after holding a naming ceremony for the Al Tuwar LNG carrier in April 2025 at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China, the HHI Ulsan Shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has completed and delivered the Al Zuwair LNG vessel to QatarEnergy.
NYK will manage the ship to support a stable energy supply, as it will be deployed under a time-charter contract with one of the world’s largest LNG producers. This is the third of 12 new LNG carriers being built for QatarEnergy by the joint venture; thus, the delivery marks the first of these vessels built at HHI and the first instance in which the NYK Group will provide ship-management services for the consortium.
The new ship is powered by two X-DF 2.1 iCER engines, described as highly fuel-efficient dual-fuel engines capable of using fuel oil and boil-off gas as fuel.
According to the Japanese firm, the vessel is equipped with an air lubrication system and a reliquefaction device that effectively uses surplus boil-off gas, promoting efficient navigation and helping curtail greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby minimizing environmental impact.
With a length of around 299 meters and a beam of 46.40 meters, the LNG carrier comes with a cargo capacity of approximately 174,000 cubic meters. Given NYK’s strengthened focus on the LNG/LPG carrier business, the firm is set on contributing to efforts toward realizing a stable energy supply in Japan.
Meanwhile, QatarEnergy is pursuing another expansion project for the North field , enlarging the North Field East (NFE) and the North Field South (NFS) undertakings with the North Field West (NFW) project.
As a result, the country’s LNG production capacity is expected to grow by almost 85% from current production levels by 2030.