ADNOC Logistics and Services has ordered four new 175,000-cbm LNG carriers from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard in a contract valued at approximately $900 million.

The vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2029 and are expected to be deployed under long-term charter arrangements, providing ADNOC L&S with greater revenue visibility while supporting the expansion of ADNOC’s global natural gas and LNG activities.

The agreement was signed on July 10 by ADNOC L&S, Jiangnan Shipyard and China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd.

The ceremony was attended by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO; Hussain Al Hammadi, UAE Ambassador to China; Hassan Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; Wang Guoqiang, General Manager of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited; and Kou Guangwu, President of Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd.

Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi , chief executive of ADNOC L&S, Xiao Wenlin, general manager of Jiangnan Shipyard, and Hu Kai, a director of China Shipbuilding Trading, signed the newbuilding contract on behalf of the respective parties.

“With global demand for natural gas continuing to grow, this latest order reflects our confidence in the strong fundamentals of the LNG shipping market,” Al Masabi said.

He added that ADNOC L&S was investing in a next-generation fleet supported by a strong balance sheet and consistently robust operating cash flow, helping connect energy supply with global demand and supporting the energy transition.

LNG newbuilding programme reaches 18 ships

The new order increases ADNOC L&S’ LNG carrier newbuilding programme to 18 vessels.

The fleet expansion includes six 175,000-cbm LNG carriers already delivered by Jiangnan Shipyard, eight vessels currently under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean in South Korea, and the four newly ordered ships.

The eight Korean-built LNG carriers are scheduled to begin entering service in 2028. All have been secured under 20-year time-charter contracts with ADNOC Gas plc, providing ADNOC L&S with long-term contracted earnings before delivery.

The latest four ships are also expected to operate under long-term charter arrangements, although ADNOC L&S has not disclosed the counterparties or contract durations.

This contracted fleet model is central to ADNOC L&S’ expansion strategy. It allows the company to increase its exposure to the growing LNG transportation market while limiting dependence on volatile spot rates.

Repeat order follows delivery of six LNG carriers

The latest contract follows the completion of ADNOC L&S’ first six-ship LNG carrier programme at Jiangnan Shipyard.

Ordered in 2022 for approximately $1.2 billion, the six 175,000-cbm Mark III membrane LNG carriers were all delivered by April 2026. Five of the vessels are operating under contracts of up to 15 years with ADNOC Gas.

Jiangnan said the original series was completed ahead of schedule and that its delivery performance and construction quality helped secure the repeat order.

The four new ships will be based on an upgraded version of the design already delivered. Jiangnan described the vessels as a new generation of green, intelligent and operationally flexible LNG carriers designed for long-haul, large-volume transportation.

The newbuildings will incorporate improved efficiency and greenhouse-gas emissions performance and will be equipped with Jiangnan’s proprietary JNIS intelligent ship platform.

According to the shipyard, the design will be compatible with more than 160 large LNG terminals and floating LNG facilities worldwide, giving ADNOC L&S greater flexibility in vessel deployment.

Jiangnan becomes ADNOC L&S’ largest LNG carrier builder

Following the latest order, Jiangnan Shipyard has now secured 10 firm LNG carrier contracts from ADNOC L&S, comprising six delivered vessels and four newbuildings scheduled for delivery in 2029.

This compares with eight firm orders placed by ADNOC L&S at South Korean yards: four at Samsung Heavy Industries and four at Hanwha Ocean.

Each Korean yard also holds an option for one additional vessel. If both options are exercised, the two Korean builders would together reach 10 vessels, matching Jiangnan’s current firm order total.

On the basis of confirmed orders, Jiangnan has therefore become the largest builder in ADNOC L&S’ LNG carrier programme by vessel count.

The comparison is limited to ADNOC L&S’ own LNG newbuilding orders. South Korean yards continue to hold a substantially larger share of the global LNG carrier orderbook.

Nevertheless, ADNOC L&S’ decision to return to Jiangnan after taking delivery of the first six vessels is an important sign of growing competition in the large LNG carrier construction market, which has traditionally been dominated by South Korean shipbuilders.

ADNOC partnership with Jiangnan extends to 28 gas carriers

The relationship between ADNOC L&S and Jiangnan Shipyard extends beyond LNG carriers.

The partnership began in 2020 when AW Shipping Limited, a joint venture between ADNOC L&S and Wanhua Chemical Group, ordered five 86,000-cbm LPG dual-fuel very large gas carriers.

ADNOC L&S subsequently ordered six LNG carriers in 2022. In 2024, AW Shipping expanded the partnership by adding four 93,000-cbm very large ammonia carriers and nine 99,000-cbm very large ethane carriers.

Including the latest four LNG ships, projects involving ADNOC L&S and AW Shipping at Jiangnan now cover 28 large gas carriers:

10 LNG carriers;

nine very large ethane carriers;

four very large ammonia carriers; and

five very large gas carriers.

The programme now spans LNG, LPG, ethane and ammonia transportation, reflecting ADNOC L&S’ ambition to build a diversified gas-shipping platform aligned with ADNOC’s energy and petrochemical activities.

First 93,000-cbm VLAC named

The LNG contract signing coincided with the naming of the first 93,000-cbm very large ammonia carrier being built by Jiangnan for AW Shipping.

The vessel, identified by Jiangnan as hull H2749, is the first of four VLACs ordered under AW Shipping’s $1.9 billion gas-carrier programme, which also includes nine VLECs.

Two of the VLECs were delivered in 2025.

The VLAC and VLEC programme will support long-term transportation requirements linked to ADNOC L&S and Wanhua Chemical’s growing energy and petrochemical supply chains.

The naming ceremony highlights how the relationship between ADNOC L&S, AW Shipping and Jiangnan is developing across several strategic gas transportation segments rather than remaining limited to conventional LNG shipping.

More than $5 billion invested since 2022

Including its 50% interest in AW Shipping’s newbuilding projects, ADNOC L&S has committed more than $5 billion to 32 new vessels since 2022.

Nine ships have already been delivered, while the remaining 23 are scheduled to enter service by 2029.

The programme is designed to modernise ADNOC L&S’ fleet, increase long-term contracted revenue and provide ADNOC with greater control over the maritime transportation capacity required for its expanding gas, LNG and petrochemical businesses.

The company has continued to advance this strategy despite severe disruption to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

In late June, ADNOC L&S upgraded its 2026 financial guidance following strong shipping performance and continued improvement in its offshore logistics business. The company now expects full-year net profit to grow by more than 60%.

The latest $900 million LNG carrier order reinforces ADNOC L&S’ confidence in the long-term outlook for natural gas transportation.

It also demonstrates how the company is combining fleet growth, long-term charters and strategic shipyard relationships to build a shipping platform capable of supporting ADNOC’s expanding role in global energy markets.