ADNOC Logistics and Services has ordered four additional LNG carriers worth USD 900 million, taking the ADNOC LNG fleet expansion to 18 vessels under construction. The 175,000 m³ ships will be built at China’s Jiangnan Shipyard for delivery in 2029, extending a shipbuilding relationship that already spans nine VLECs, four VLACs and five VLGCs.
ADNOC LNG Fleet Expansion Reaches 18 Vessels
The order was signed in Shanghai during a visit by Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, ADNOC’s Managing Director and Group CEO, alongside Jiangnan Shipyard CEO Xiao Wenlin and CSSC General Manager Wang Guoqiang. ADNOC L&S CEO Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi said the order reflects confidence in LNG shipping market fundamentals and builds on the company’s earnings growth and diversified operations.
The company has already taken delivery of six 175,000 m³ carriers from Jiangnan, with five contracted to ADNOC Gas on charters running up to 15 years and generating stable revenues since May 2026. A further eight LNG carriers worth USD 2.5 billion are under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, all locked into 20-year charters with ADNOC Gas from 2028.
The ADNOC LNG fleet expansion now spans three shipyards and four vessel classes, with USD 5 billion committed across 32 vessels since 2022. Nine have delivered and 23 remain scheduled through 2029. Every vessel in the programme is placed on long-term charter before construction begins, a structure ADNOC L&S says is designed to lock in earnings visibility rather than expose the fleet to spot LNG shipping rates.
Ammonia Carrier Fleet Joins the Buildout
Al Jaber’s shipyard visit also marked delivery of Meera, the first of four Very Large Ammonia Carriers ordered through AW Shipping, ADNOC L&S’s joint venture with Wanhua Chemical Group. Meera has a 93,000 cubic metre capacity, ranking among the largest ammonia carriers afloat, and was named in a ceremony led by ADNOC L&S Business Excellence Analyst Rayan Al Shami.
The wider AW Shipping order, placed in 2024 at a value of USD 1.9 billion, covers nine Very Large Ethane Carriers alongside the four VLACs. Two of the ethane carriers delivered in 2025, with the remainder due to follow on the same phased schedule as the ammonia fleet.
The ammonia and ethane carriers push ADNOC L&S beyond pure LNG into wider gas logistics, mirroring a build-out already under way at rival QatarEnergy, whose Q-Max and Q-Flex fleet remains the world’s largest dedicated LNG carrier class. That regional rivalry underlines why the ADNOC LNG fleet expansion matters for Gulf LNG supply competition, with both national carriers racing to secure shipyard capacity years ahead of delivery.
Gulf LNG Shipbuilding Race Intensifies
Gulf LNG exporters have committed to some of the largest newbuild shipping programmes in the industry’s history over the past three years, driven by rising gas production and a wave of long-term supply contracts signed with Asian and European buyers. ADNOC’s total newbuild commitment now sits alongside similarly scaled programmes from Qatar, reflecting a region-wide push to control shipping capacity rather than rely on the charter market.
For shipyards, the effect has been a concentration of order books at a small number of Chinese and Korean facilities. Jiangnan, Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean between them now account for the bulk of ADNOC L&S’s LNG newbuild programme, giving the company delivery diversification across three yards rather than dependence on one.
ADNOC LNG Fleet Expansion Fits Wider Trading Strategy
The ADNOC LNG fleet expansion supports ADNOC’s recently launched global LNG marketing and trading platform, which targets 47 million tonnes per annum of combined marketable LNG by 2035. Long-term charters on the newbuild fleet give ADNOC L&S revenue visibility years ahead of delivery, a structure the company has used consistently since 2022.
ADNOC L&S operates through two key subsidiaries alongside its core shipping fleet: Zakher Marine International Holdings, a wholly owned operator of self-propelled offshore support vessels, and the 80%-owned Navig8 platform, which runs global ship pools and offers bunkering and ship management services. Combined, the group serves more than 100 customers across 50 countries.
ADNOC L&S confirmed the new carriers will use fuel-efficient designs to cut emissions intensity, according to its official statement. The company frames the investment as supporting “sustainable shareholder value” rather than a purely defensive response to competitor fleet growth.
The expansion adds to the UAE terminal network covered in OGSN’s ADNOC terminals profile, and comes as Gulf operators compete to lock in long-term LNG supply contracts ahead of 2029 deliveries.
How many LNG carriers has ADNOC ordered from Jiangnan Shipyard?
ADNOC Logistics and Services has ordered 18 LNG carriers from Jiangnan Shipyard as part of its fleet expansion, including six already delivered and the latest four-vessel order signed in Shanghai.
What is the capacity of ADNOC’s newest LNG carriers?
Each of the four newest vessels has a capacity of 175,000 cubic metres, matching the specification of ADNOC L&S’s existing Jiangnan-built fleet.
How much has ADNOC L&S invested in LNG shipping?
Including its share of the AW Shipping joint venture, ADNOC L&S has committed over USD 5 billion to vessel newbuilds since 2022, covering 32 ships across LNG, ammonia and ethane carriers.
What is a Very Large Ammonia Carrier?
A Very Large Ammonia Carrier (VLAC) is a specialised vessel built to transport liquefied ammonia in bulk, typically with capacities above 80,000 cubic metres. ADNOC L&S’s first VLAC, Meera, carries 93,000 cubic metres.
When will ADNOC’s new LNG carriers be delivered?
The four vessels ordered in July 2026 are scheduled for delivery in 2029, alongside a separate batch of eight LNG carriers under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean.