More than 50 LNG carriers were ordered in 2020, but prospects for newbuildings this year look more uncertain.
South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries took the lion’s share of the 53 orders, securing nine, 20 and nine vessels, respectively.
All the newbuildings were based on long-term contract business with projects, energy majors or project utilities — a reversal of the trend in the previous two years, when a large tranche of speculative tonnage was contracted.
