Malaysia’s MISC has ordered an 18，700 cum LNG carrier in China after securing a 10-year charter with compatriot Malaysia LNG.

The Bursa Malaysia-listed owner has contracted Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding to build the vessel， with the charter scheduled to commence in 2028.

The ship will be deployed carrying LNG from Petronas’ export complex in Bintulu to Sendai in Japan， supporting a supply relationship str etching back nearly three decades.

Hudong-Zhonghua said the newbuild would be the first membrane-type LNG carrier of this size constructed at the yard and China’s first small-scale LNG vessel to feature a membrane containment system.

The 129.8-m-long ship will have twin-skeg， dual-fuel electric propulsion and a design speed of 15 knots.The deal adds a smaller， specialised unit to MISC’s growing Hudong-Zhonghua orderbook.

The Malaysian owner earlier this year contracted five 174，000 cu m LNG carriers at the Shanghai yard， all backed by 20-year charters with Petronas and scheduled to enter service between 2029 and 2030.