Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) Commences Steel-Cutting Ceremony for 17 New LNG Carriers

Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat), the Persian Gulf country’s shipping and maritime player, recently hosted a steel-cutting ceremony for 17 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in South Korea.

Under a deal with QatarEnergy affiliates announced in February 2024 and signed a month later, Nakilat will own and operate up to 25 conventional-size LNG carriers chartered to QatarEnergy under long-term agreements. The steel cutting of these 17 new LNG carriers marks a significant milestone in Nakilat’s LNG fleet expansion program.

Following the initial long-term time charter party agreements signed in April and August 2022, Nakilat initiated the second phase of its LNG fleet expansion program with a $3.9 billion construction contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries in September 2023 for 17 of the 25 LNG vessels.

The remaining eight LNG carriers are being constructed at Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea. A steel-cutting ceremony for these vessels took place in March 2025. Nakilat’s involvement in QatarEnergy’s LNG fleet expansion program includes the charter and operation responsibilities for nine ultra-modern QC-Max LNG ships, enhancing Qatar’s position in the global LNG market.

QatarEnergy’s expansion projects such as the North Field East (NFE), North Field South (NFS), and North Field West (NFW) are set to significantly increase the country’s LNG production capacity by almost 85% by 2030. The recent steel-cutting ceremony at HHI follows China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) commencing the construction of another LNG carrier for QatarEnergy at Samsung Heavy Industries’ shipyard in South Korea.