China Delivers Its Largest-Ever Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier Celsius Georgetown

China has delivered its largest-ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier. The vessel, named Celsius Georgetown, was delivered by China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu), a unit of China Merchants Group, on April 27.

It has a capacity of 180,000 cubic metres and measures about 298.8 metres in length. The ship is registered in the Marshall Islands for Denmark-based Celsius Shipping.

Construction of the vessel began in October 2023. It is the first of six identical LNG carriers ordered by Celsius Shipping in late 2022.

The second ship is expected to be delivered in about three months. The overall contract includes four firm ships with additional options, and deliveries are expected to continue into early 2027.

The ship is designed to carry liquefied natural gas at minus 163 degrees Celsius. It uses dual-fuel, low-speed propulsion systems with MAN engines.

It also includes air lubrication technology for the hull and systems aimed at reducing gas evaporation and improving efficiency and environmental performance. Deltamarin was involved in the design of the vessel.

China Merchants Heavy Industry said the delivery is an important step for its LNG carrier construction capability. The company said the completion shows progress in building large and complex clean-energy vessels.

At the naming ceremony earlier this month, China Merchants Group chairman Miao Jianmin said the delivery marked the group’s entry into the core global group of large LNG shipbuilders.

He also said the group plans to develop more advanced, green and international operations across shipping and shipbuilding in the coming years.

After naming on April 8, the vessel was delivered at the end of April and has now sailed towards Singapore.

China first entered LNG carrier construction in 2008 through Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding.

Since then, the sector has grown, and now five Chinese shipyards are capable of building LNG carriers, including Jiangnan Shipyard, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, and China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu).

These yards began receiving more LNG carrier orders from 2024.

China has also strengthened its overall position in global shipbuilding. Per reports, it secured nearly 70 percent of global new shipbuilding orders in 2025, with strong performance in bulk carriers and container ships.

South Korea still leads in LNG carriers, holding around 70 percent of the global market in this segment.

However, Chinese yards are increasing pressure in this area, which has been one of South Korea’s strongest segments.

Experts say the gap in traditional shipbuilding methods has reduced. Rhee Shin-hyung, professor of naval architecture and ocean engineering at Seoul National University, said China has already caught up in many areas of shipbuilding technology.

He added that without new technological development, South Korea may struggle to maintain its lead in the coming years.

China Merchants Heavy Industry currently has five more LNG carriers under construction for Celsius Shipping, with the next delivery expected in around three months.

Reference: SCMP