The naming ceremony of the new LNG carrier Hlaitan built and chartered as part of QatarEnergy’s LNG fleet expansion program, was held at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. shipyard in China.
This vessel is the third of the seven newbuild LNG carriers ordered for QatarEnergy and will be under long-term charter contracts with QatarEnergy Trading.
The vessel was named Hlaitan while many people who attended the ceremony watched and the mooring lines were successfully cut. The Hlaitan was named after one of the archaeological areas in the state of Qatar.
Photo credit: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL)
Almost two years ago, and specifically on April 14, 2022, Japan’s shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) signed through its subsidiary a long-term charter contract for four newbuilding LNG carriers with QatarEnergy.
The company said at that time that “the vessels will be built at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. in China, and that they are slated for delivery from 2024 through 2025.”
“MOL and QatarEnergy have strengthened relationship and increased the LNG fleet chartered from MOL affiliates to QatarEnergy subsidiaries,” MOL added.
At the same period, MOL also signed long-term time charter agreement for three new LNG carriers for QatarEnergy, with deliveries by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. sequentially from 2027 onwards.
