China’s state-owned Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has stated it has won an order to build a 18,600-cbm LNG bunkering vessel for TotalEnergies. It also has an option in place for an additional vessel.

The ship will be built by Spain’s Grupo Ibaizabal although it is understood that several shipowners including Avenir and Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) were also in the running to secure the newbuild contract.

The deal sees the French energy major return to Hudong-Zhonghua after a deal struck earlier this year with Japan’s MOL contracting South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries to build a pair of 88,000 cbm LPG carriers.