China’s 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier Ocean Oasis was delivered in Shanghai 3.5 months early on Friday, setting a world record 16-month build time for its class. Built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, the ship is a fifth-generation, China-designed LNG carrier, equipped with top-tier containment systems, dual-fuel engines, and ultra-low boil-off technology, covering over 90% of global LNG routes.
It uses domestically produced Invar steel, which barely changes size at -163°C, stays tough in extreme cold and can be made ultra-thin to boost cargo space. Once foreign-dominated, it’s now being localized in China, alongside high-manganese steel that could cut costs by up to 30%.
The delivery is the 11th LNG carrier the country's top LNG shipbuilder has handed over this year, helping push China’s share of the global LNG ship market from under 5% in 2008 to over 30% today.
