Bonny Gas Transport (BGT), the shipping arm of Nigeria LNG (NLNG), has selected China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding as its preferred builder for a batch of up to six new LNG carriers.
BGT, which manages NLNG’s fleet and is responsible for chartering and acquiring new vessels for NLNG, will contract Hudong-Zhonghua to build an initial three LNG carriers, according to shipping sources.
Hudong-Zhonghua is China’s leading LNG carrier builder, having delivered vessels like Dapeng Sun, the first LNG carrier built in China.
Chinese shipyards often provide cost-effective solutions with favourable financing terms that are often attractive for African clients like NLNG.
NLNG operates one of Africa’s largest dedicated LNG shipping fleets that transport liquefied natural gas from its Bonny Island plant to markets in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Its fleet has historically been composed of steam-powered vessels. While robust, these ships are less fuel-efficient and emit higher greenhouse gases compared to modern alternatives.
In 2024, NLNG announced a 10-year plan to replace all steam-powered vessels with modern ships like dual-fuel diesel-electric (DFDE) or ME-GI (gas injection) vessels, in line with global shipping regulations (IMO 2030/2050).
The gas trader began with the long-term charter of the vessel Aktoras in 2024.
The Aktoras – the most eco-friendly gas vessel in NLNG’s fleet – made its maiden loading at Bonny Terminal in July last year. A second modern ship is already planned for acquisition.
Fleet modernisation as Train 7 nears completion
NLNG’s fleet modernisation is directly tied to the success of Train 7, which is designed to expand production capacity by 35% (from 22 mtpa to 30 mtpa).
Train 7 will generate thousands of additional LNG cargoes over its lifetime.
These modern, fuel-efficient vessels will be essential to handle the increased export volumes sustainably as NLNG seeks new markets.
As part of its preparedness for the upcoming Train 7, NLNG recently signed a landmark gas supply agreement with multiple third-party suppliers to deliver up to 1.29 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily to its Bonny processing plant.
The $10 billion gas expansion project was 80% complete as of mid-2025, with commissioning expected in the first quarter of 2026.
Buyers in Europe and Asia increasingly prefer LNG delivered via low-carbon supply chains.
More so, modern ships strengthen NLNG’s reputation and competitiveness as a sustainable supplier, especially at a time when Europe is diversifying away from Russian gas.
In September, Bayo Ojulari, chief executive of state-owned NNPC said Portugal and Spain accounted for 60% of the country’s LNG exports.
