The 155,300-cbm gas carrier has been ordered from MI LNG Company,a joint venture between Imabari and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
The vessel, which is duefor delivery in 2017, will be used to import LNG into Japan from the Wheatstone LNG project in Australia.
Itwill be built to Mitsubishi’s Sayaendo design, which comprises four Moss-type sphericaltanks with a peapod-shaped cover designed to increase fuel efficiency.
MILNG Company was due to start operations on 1 April and will be 51% controlledby Mitsubishi with Imabari holding the other 49%.
The joint venture is designed to be able to copewith large-scale LNG carrier construction projects, and will have capacity foraround eight LNG carriers per year.
The order – the firstreceived via MI LNG – is the eighth to date for the Sayaendo. Construction willbe carried out at Mitsubishi’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works.
