The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is increasing the size of its LNG fleet with an order made for four next-generation LNG carries from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard, the United Arab Emirates’ company announced on July 8.

The vessels will each have a capacity of 175,000 cubic metres. The price tag for the ships is $900 mn with the vessels scheduled to be delivered in 2029. The ships are expected to be deployed on long-term charters.

“As global demand for natural gas continues to rise, this latest order reflects our confidence in the strong fundamentals of the LNG shipping market,” Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC Logistics and Services said in a statement.

“Building on our robust earnings growth and diversified operations, we are investing in a next-generation fleet to efficiently connect key supply sources with high-growth demand centres and support the global energy transformation,” Captain Al Masabi added.

The state-run company’s newbuild program now boasts 18 vessels. Six of these next-generation LNG carriers have already been delivered by Jiangnan Shipyard on a deal worth $1.2 bn. Five of the vessels were deployed to ADNOC Gas in May on contracts of up to 15 years.

“ADNOC Logistics & Services’ continued trust in Jiangnan Shipyard – following the previous orders of six LNG carriers, nine VLECs, four VLACs as well as an earlier order of five VLGCs – underscores a long-standing partnership and a shared commitment to delivering world-class vessels,” Xiao Wenlin, Chief Executive Officer of Jiangnan Shipyard said in a statement.

Amid the conflict in the Middle East and Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, ADNOC has been working with customers on a shipment-by-shipment basis to meet contractual commitments.

While QatarEnergy suffered attacks on its liquefaction facilities with two trains knocked out of service, ADNOC’s processing facilities remain fully operational, with no damage to critical infrastructure despite reports of debris near some facilities.

Earlier in July, ADNOC announced the launch of its integrated LNG marketing and trading platform to consolidate marketing activities of ADNOC Gas and XRG with ADNOC Trading's existing trading capabilities under a single commercial structure.

ADNOC has set a goal of achieving 47 mn tonnes per year (tpy) of marketable LNG by 2035.