Everllence and Hudong-Zhonghua to Design 180,000 cbm LNG Carrier
The pair have already delivered 10 conventional dual-fuel diesel electric LNG carriers together
Everllence has signed an engineering design agreement with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, the state-owned Shanghai builder, covering the development of a 180,000 cubic metre class LNG carrier with a dual-fuel electric propulsion system.
The two parties frame the work against tightening IMO carbon intensity requirements, and see scope to make LNG shipping both cleaner and more efficient as those thresholds move. The partners have collaborated before, delivering 10 conventional dual-fuel diesel electric LNG carriers.
The agreement was signed on June 5, 2026 by Yang Chunhua, technical centre deputy director of Hudong-Zhonghua, with Pan Ke, head of sales and projects for four-stroke China, representing Everllence.
"Decarbonisation is an obvious development trend in the shipping industry. Ship owners are currently faced with unprecedented challenges and uncertainties as they are fighting to achieve the GHG Net Zero Emissions by 2050. We are very glad to work together with Everllence to develop the hybrid-electric propulsion solution with high efficiency on LNG carriers, which shall provide more options for ship owners," said Song Wei, chief technical engineer of Hudong-Zhonghua.
Dominik Thoma, global manager LNG cargo at Everllence, set out the case for working across the yard and engine boundary rather than within it. "Nowadays, individual technology providers can only achieve marginal efficiency improvements. Accordingly, for bigger gains, shipyards and engine manufacturers need to work closely together. Hudong-Zhonghua as a market leader within the construction of LNG Carriers and Everllence as market leader in the design and manufacture of four-stroke engines possess the joint capabilities to bring propulsion systems to the next level."
The size class matters as much as the propulsion choice. At 180,000 cubic metres the design sits in the mainstream of the LNG carrier orderbook, which means an efficiency gain established here carries across a large share of future tonnage rather than a niche.
