Denmark's Celsius Shipping is weighing up whether to add a further LNG newbuilding to its rapidly expanding gas carrier fleet as rate details for its recent deals on four newly ordered ships are circulated.
Those following the company said Celsius has an optional slot for an LNG carrier at South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries, where it has contracted six LNG vessels this year.
They indicate that Celsius is likely to make a decision in the coming weeks.
With shipyard slots for large vessels in short supply due to the crush of containership and other gas carrier orders, and an upbeat tone to market demand of LNG ships, newbuilding brokers said options are not likely to remain open for long.
Busy
Celsius has already been extremely active on LNG shipping this year.
The company took delivery of the final vessel in its first four-ship order and then inked contracts for a total of six fresh 180,000-cbm LNG newbuildings at SHI.
These were secured in three separate deals. The first in early July was for three vessels with an announcement by the yard pricing the ships at $193m each. A fourth, priced at just over $195m, was added later the same month before two more were inked in August with $196m price tags.
Of these six ships, TradeWinds reported that four are understood to have been fixed to energy major BP.
Brokers listed that the ships are committed for four-and-a-half year periods at rates of $73,850 per day.
They quoted delivery dates on the ships of July and October 2023, and February and August 2024.
Celsius chairman Jeppe Jensen has been contacted for comment.
Of Celsius' four trading LNG vessels, the first is fixed to trader Gunvor with the remaining trio on charter to US producer Cheniere Energy.
LNG shipping rates are firming ahead of the seasonally busy winter period. But analysts and brokers forecast the market will remain strong well into 2022 and possibly further out, with more vessels needed to meet expected demand.
