China

China 's first self-made LNG carrier is being constructed in Shanghai after almost 8 years of research, training of building specialists and planning. An LNG ship is worth between USD 170 million and 200 million. The vessel which is due for delivery by November 2007 will be used to transport liquefied natural gas from Australia to South China's Guangdong Province where a USD 846 million terminal is under construction. The first carrier is designed to contain 147 000 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas whose volume will expand 600-fold under normal atmospheric temperature. Double hulled with two layers of membranes made of Invar, a metal high in nickel content that does not contract under low temperatures, it relies on insulation to keep the liquefied gas at -163°C throughout the journey. With the world facing an LNG boom, China is moving to incorporate natural gas expansion into its energy strategy in order to be more environmentally friendly, relieve energy security concerns and improve energy efficiency. The consumption of liquefied gas is forecast to increase 25 percent a year for the next decade. The world's LNG fleet is expected to double to around 250 ships. Hudong Zhonghua is hoping to be the main supplier of liquefied natural gas tankers to feed the 9 LNG terminals that China plans for 2010.