Nakilat Names Nine New Vessels Built at South Korean Shipyards

Qatari state-owned shipping company Nakilat named nine newbuild vessels built at three South Korean shipyards in a single ceremony: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Samho. These comprise seven LNG carriers -Al Ghuwair, Al Jazi, Al Mirzam, Maqdeem, Al Nasraniya, Energy Vigour and Energy Voyager- and two LPG/ammonia carriers, Energy South and Energy East.

Five of the seven LNG carriers named form part of a broader Nakilat programme to build 25 conventional-size LNG carriers at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean. According to ports news rusia, these 25 vessels of 174,000 cubic metres are split between 17 units built at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and eight at Hanwha Ocean, and will be wholly owned and operated by Nakilat, chartered to QatarEnergy subsidiaries under long-term contracts.

The remaining two LNG carriers and the two LPG/ammonia carriers belong to a separate six-vessel programme at the HD Hyundai Samho shipyard. That order includes two LNG carriers of 174,000 cubic metres and four LPG/ammonia carriers of 88,000 cubic metres, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2027. The first vessel in that programme, the 88,000-cubic-metre Energy North, was scheduled to enter service on 2 October 2026, according to ports news rusia.

Engineer Abdullah Al Sulaiti, Chief Executive Officer of Nakilat, stated that the naming ceremony reflected concrete progress in the company's long-term investment plans and its partnership with QatarEnergy, in support of the requirements of the North Field expansion projects. He further noted that diversifying the fleet into LPG/ammonia carriers will strengthen Nakilat's ability to meet its customers' evolving needs and reinforce Qatar's position as a leading LNG producer and exporter.

According to Trade news, the company is preparing to receive its largest volume of vessel deliveries in 2027, as part of a 40-vessel newbuilding programme. Sea trade maritime added that Al Sulaiti thanked the shipyards and project teams for their commitment to safety, quality and operational excellence throughout the construction programmes.