TMS Cardiff Gas is being linked to a lone LNG carrier newbuilding order announced on Tuesday by Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE).
The South Korean yard grouping said it had secured a KRW 348.6bn ($243m) order without naming the owner behind it.
It said the vessel will be built at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries and delivered in the second half of 2026.
Sources familiar with the business told TradeWinds the ship has been booked by George Economou-controlled TMS Cardiff Gas.
They priced the order at closer to $247m, which is significantly higher than the two LNG vessels booked by the Greek owner earlier this year.
TMS Cardiff Gas has been contacted for confirmation and further comment.
In May, TradeWinds reported that the company had booked two LNG carrier newbuildings at Samsung Heavy Industries priced at more than $230m each.
The pair are scheduled for handover by March 2026.
The orders marked the shipowner’s return to LNG carrier ordering after it took delivery of 11 ships in 2020 and 2021, all backed by charters, in the previous burst of LNG carrier contracting.
But TMS Cardiff Gas, which is now understood to be under the control of George Economou rather than his son Christos, has also been active on project-backed LNG carrier newbuildings.
In September, it was named as the owner behind two newbuildings priced at $223.8m each, which were booked against QatarEnergy’s pre-reserved slots at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and backed by long-term charters with the Middle East producing giant.
These vessels — the company’s first with QatarEnergy — are due for delivery by the third quarter of 2026.
Aside from this year’s five newbuildings, TMS Cardiff Gas controls 11 modern two-stroke LNG carriers, four 2014-built tri-fuel diesel-electric vessels and one steam turbine vessel.
