Four Chinese shipyards - Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, Dalian Shipbuilding Industries Co, Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) and Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries - have submitted bids to build a series of up to six 170,000-cbm LNG carriers for Chinese buyers Sinopec and China Shipping Development Co (CSDC).
Hudong-Zhonghua is the only Chinese yard that has built LNG carriers to date. But China is understood to be keen to see other shipbuilders branch out into the more complex sector.
Dalian appears to be the preferred Chinese yard to make the next break into LNG-carrier construction, an upcoming order from BG Group to build two 170,000-cbm newbuildings.
BG is said to prefer placing the order at Hudong-Zhonghua, but if Dalian, or other yard Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering, manages to bag the Sinopec-CSDC ships, BG may get its way.
China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) and joint-venture partner China Merchants, which together form China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Co (CLNG), are handling the tender for the BG ships.
A decision is expected to be made on the tender by the end of this year.