Norway’s Knutsen Group has firmed up another LNG newbuild in South Korea, ordering a 174,000 cu m carrier at Hanwha Ocean on the back of a long-term charter deal with Italy’s Edison. The contract will see the vessel deliver and begin its charter in 2028.
The new carrier will join Knutsen’s expanding LNG fleet and be built to the latest efficiency and emissions standards. It will feature four advanced membrane tanks with high-performance insulation aimed at cutting boil-off, along with dual-fuel propulsion, shaft generators, and a full reliquefaction system able to recover all evaporated gas, the company explained, adding that the design positions the ship to meet current IMO rules as well as incoming EU requirements under FuelEU Maritime and the ETS.
The charter bolsters a partnership that began in 2018 with the delivery of the small-scale Ravenna Knutsen, a 30,000 cu m LNG carrier used by Edison to supply its Ravenna terminal and conduct bunkering operations. The vessel has also supported coastal regasification during recent energy-market disruptions.
