Sixth TMS Cardiff LNG newbuild departs shipyard

Greek shipowner TMS Cardiff's sixth scheduled 2020 newbuild LNG carrier has left South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries' (HHI) shipyard today.

The 174,000m³ Vivit Americas LNG is declaring for arrival at Singapore on 24 October, suggesting that the vessel has been delivered to its owner. The carrier is tied to a term charter with Swiss trading firm Vitol, suggesting that it is unlikely to be let by TMS Cardiff on the spot charter market. The delivery would be the owner's sixth so far this year, and fourth from HHI's Ulsan shipyard.

TMS Cardiff has five ships remaining on its orderbook, one of which was due to be delivered this month from South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) — the 174,000m³ Dorado LNG. But the carrier has yet to begin sea trials, suggesting that it may be the vessel noted by SHI in late September as delayed from October to April 2021.

The shipowner is also due to receive three newbuilds in the first quarter of 2021 — all tied to term charters with Shell — and a single carrier in November next year, chartered to an unnamed "gas major".

The Vivit Americas LNG is only the second carrier to be delivered globally so far this month. But all of the five remaining newbuilds due for delivery in October have finished sea trials and begun their respective gas trials, with the 174,000m³ LNG Megrez finishing its own during the summer and same-sized Gaslog Georgetown two days ago. This suggests that there may be a flurry of newbuild deliveries in the second half of this month, with a further three each month scheduled in November-December.

By Samuel Good