China State Shipbuilding Corp has begun construction of what it says is the world’s largest and most powerful LNG carrier at its Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding unit in Shanghai. The first QC-Max class vessel is being built under a landmark deal with QatarEnergy, which includes 24 ships in total.
The two contracts, signed in 2024, are valued at more than 56 billion yuan, or about $8.3 billion, and are described as the world’s largest shipbuilding order on record. Each vessel will measure 344 metres in length and have a capacity of 271,000 cubic metres of LNG.
The ships are designed to carry far more gas than standard LNG carriers, helping QatarEnergy expand its export fleet. China Daily said the order marks a major milestone for CSSC and Hudong-Zhonghua, one of the few shipbuilders globally capable of building LNG tankers at this scale.
