Golar LNG buys NYK's Grace Dahlia as donor hull for its fourth FLNG
The 2013-built, 177,427 cbm Moss carrier will be converted at Yantai alongside FLNG Esperanza for redelivery in 2029
Golar LNG has agreed to buy the 2013-built LNG carrier Grace Dahlia from NYK Line and convert her into its fourth floating LNG production unit, the company said on 7 October. The price was not disclosed. FLNG #4 was ordered on 12 August 2026.
The Japanese-flagged ship has 177,427 cubic metres of LNG storage, about 20% more than FLNG Esperanza, the 3.5 million tonnes per annum unit now being converted. Golar said the extra storage gives prospective customers more flexibility when offloading while keeping the benefits of a repeat of its MKII design.
Grace Dahlia will be converted alongside Esperanza at CIMC Raffles' yard in Yantai, China, with redelivery scheduled for 2029. Golar describes that as "the world's earliest available FLNG capacity". The full announcement is filed with the SEC.
Golar has budgeted about $2.45bn for the 3.5 mtpa unit. The figure covers the conversion vessel, previously ordered compressors and gas turbines, yard supervision, spares, crew training, contingencies, initial bunkers, commissioning and delivery to the operating site. The company is targeting a long-term charter and says commercial discussions on the unit's employment are advanced.
The fourth unit would raise Golar's controlled liquefaction capacity by about 40%, to more than 12 mtpa. Its first converted FLNG, Hilli, began producing LNG in 2018, and the Bermuda-incorporated company left conventional LNG shipping after selling the carrier Golar Arctic in 2025.
Grace Dahlia is 300 metres long with a beam of 52 metres, carries her cargo in four Moss-type spherical tanks and has a gross tonnage of 141,671.
This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 15 October 2026.
