Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has upgraded the digital prototype of its 270,000-cbm LNG carrier to version 2.0, pushing the design into a more advanced phase of virtual simulation and verification, according to Chinese industry publications.
The upgrade moves the project further through technical validation for what is positioned as the largest LNG carrier concept under development, with the Shanghai yard deploying its DPS full 3D design platform and CAVE immersive simulation system to test the vessel at scale.
The programme targets the upper limit of LNG carrier design, where size and engineering constraints define competitiveness. A 271,000-cbm variant of the same class secured approval in principle in 2023 from American Bureau of Shipping, Lloyd’s Register, DNV and Bureau Veritas.
The design trajectory aligns with confirmed demand at the top end of the segment. A series of 271,000-cbm LNG carriers linked to the same development line has already been ordered by QatarEnergy, with deliveries scheduled between 2028 and 2031.
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding is a Shanghai-based shipbuilding enterprise under China State Shipbuilding Corporation, established in 2001 through the merger of Hudong Shipbuilding Group and Zhonghua Shipyard. The company operates across commercial and naval shipbuilding programmes, with a focus on LNG carrier engineering and construction.
China State Shipbuilding Corporation is a centrally administered state-owned enterprise overseeing a broad portfolio of shipyards and marine engineering assets, coordinating large-scale industrial development across China’s shipbuilding sector.
