OREANDA-NEWS. July 17, 2012. China will need up to 60 new liquefied natural gas carriers worth in the region of USD 12bn between now and 2020 to meet energy goals set out in the Twelfth Five-Year plan, according to a SinoShip LNG White Paper published in association with Standard Chartered and Watson, Farley & Williams.

There will be a minimum of four Chinese shipyards building these high spec vessels in the coming years, up from the current one in Hudong-Zhonghua.

The number of terminals in China will jump to 14 from the current five in operation at the moment with a further 10 due for consideration after 2016 depending on demand.

With the global LNG fleet also set to spike the face of LNG shipping will change dramatically with a flourishing spot market for the first time.