QatarEnergy announced that it has awarded the ownership of the first batch of liquified natural gas (LNG) as a part of its LNG shipping program.

This came after signing a series of time-charter parties (TCP’s) with a subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL) for the long-term charter and operation of four LNG ships.

At the same time, MOL and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group (Hudong), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), have signed LNG carrier shipbuilding contracts for the construction of four new LNG carriers to serve QatarEnergy’s LNG growth projects and future fleet requirements.

Commenting on the occasion, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “These contracts mark the start of the construction phase of QatarEnergy’s historic fleet expansion program in support of our LNG expansion projects. We are pleased to be working with our reliable business partners from China and Japan, namely: MOL, Hudong, and CSSC to take this important step together.”

“We look forward to announcing many more such contracts in the near future in our relentless pursuit to ensure a reliable supply of additional clean energy to the world,” Al-Kaabi concluded.