Each LNG ship has a very important area on deck called 👉 Cargo Compressor Room (Cargo Machinery Room or Gas house).

Why it's important ❓

This room contains a variety of equipment which are a fundamental link 🎯 for the cargo handling process and BOG management .

The common machineries 🏭 are (Steam and DFDE engines) :

👉 High duty compressor

👉 Low duty compressor

👉 High duty heater

👉 Low duty heater

👉 Mist separator

👉 Forcing Vaporiser

👉 LNG Vaporiser

👉 Reliquefaction Plant

Deutsche Ostsee terminal in Mukran Germany remains “fully operational” 🏭 despite what it described as “challenging weather conditions” and a malfunctioning ice breaker ❄ .

The vessel waiting at anchor off the facility — reported to be the 174,000-cbm Minerva Amorgos (built 2022) 🚢 — can only enter the channel to the port when the ice is broken to a sufficient width.

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

Port costs are often treated as a secondary line item in LNG economics 💵. However, for vessels such as a modern 160,000-m³ LNG carrier (TFDE), they can materially alter voyage profitability, risk exposure, and trading optionality 📊. 

A regional heatmap of LNG port costs reveals three distinct tiers. Ocean-accessible hubs such as the US Gulf, Qatar, and much of West Africa remain structurally low-cost, typically below 💰70,000 per port call.

In contrast, North Africa, Australia, and Argentina stand out as persistent high-cost regions. Algeria and Australia routinely exceed 💰120,000 to 💰190,000 per port call, while Argentina sits in a league of its own, with costs reaching 💰220,000 to 💰360,000 per port call.

(C) Copyright Riviera Maritime Media 2026

Russia has for the first time 🥇 conducted three simultaneous LNG ship-to-ship (STS) transfers in Arctic waters

Two of the transfers occurred at the Saam floating storage unit (FSU), where LNG from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project was offloaded and reloaded for onward shipment simultaneously 🚢, while a third transfer took place near Kildin Island involving cargo from the unsanctioned Yamal LNG project 🏭.

(C) Copyright GCAPTAIN 2026

Greece bets on LNG corridor to power Europe’s post-Russia energy future 🔥

The region is being reshaped into a critical geopolitical and energy hub as Europe accelerates its decoupling 📉 from Russian energy and looks for new, secure gas gateways.

As Europe prepares to say goodbye to Russian energy for good, with Russian oil and gas imports set to reach zero by 2028, a fierce debate is unfolding in European capitals about how to secure the next phase of the energy supply 📊 for European Union households and businesses.

(C) Copyright EuroNews 2026

Oman’s Asyad Shipping has divested four LNG carriers 💵, the 147,684-cbm Nizwa LNG, 148,174-cbm Salalah LNG (both built 2005), 147,384-cbm Ibri LNG and 147,100-cbm Ibra LNG (both built 2006).

The Ibra LNG was delivered to its new owner on 10 February and the Nizwa LNG was delivered on 16 February 🤝. The Salalah LNG and Ibri LNG were delivered earlier.

It is not yet clear how they will be redeployed ❗.

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

As China’s shipbuilding industry has aggressively increased orders for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers 💧 since the start of the year, some analysts say the move is paradoxically serving as a lever that boosts Korean shipbuilders’ bargaining power on prices 💵.

The ship new building price for a 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier peaked at 💰265 million in Feb last year before turning downward, and has stayed at around 💰248 million for four consecutive months recently

(C) Copyright Cyprus Shipping News 2026

DNB Carnegie has lowered its estimates for LNG carrier spot rates 💵 because of the coming wave of new deliveries.

The Norwegian investment bank forecasts sailed-in two-stroke spot rates of 💰37,000 per day for 2026 📉, compared with an earlier estimate of 💰79,000 per day.

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

Final investment decisions taken on 84 mtpa of LNG in 2025 will create demand for 150 new LNG carriers 🚀, according to membrane cargo containment system designer GTT.

The company had already been notified of orders for 1️⃣4️⃣ LNG carrier newbuildings this year, which will be built with its systems.

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

GTT received, in the first quarter of 2026, an order from the Jiangnan shipyard for the tank design of four 4️⃣ new Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers (LNGCs) on behalf of Shandong Marine Energy, the ship-owner.

GTT will design the cryogenic tanks of the vessels, which will each offer a total capacity of 175,000 m³ 💧. The tanks will be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system developed by GTT 🏢.

Delivery of the vessels is expected between the third quarter of 2028 and the fourth quarter of 2029 🎊.

(C) Copyright GTT 2026

Australia’s Woodside Energy has gone back to shipowners and asked for a second set of bids for a large clutch of LNG carrier newbuildings 🚢 it wants to take on charter.

Shortlisted shipowners are understood to have been asked to submit revised offers 📃 by the end of this week.

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

Gas shipowner Seapeak has been part of the surge in LNG carrier orders from private shipowners seen in the past three months 🏗, but it seems like the company might not be done yet.

Seapeak confirmed that at the close of 2025, it had booked two 2️⃣ 2028-delivering, 174,000-cbm LNG carriers at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea, with both fixed against long-term charter business lifting US export cargoes 🤝.

Company intends to migrate Russian vessel operations from UK to Singapore in advance of 2027 services ban 🚨

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has awarded approval in principle (AIP) certificates 🎯 for LNG carriers and a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) projects developed by Chinese Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group).

The AiPs were awarded for the newly developed 👉 P-Flex 201,000 cu m Panama-Max LNG carrier, with BV validating its performance improvements, including a 15.5% larger cargo capacity compared to classic 174,000 cu m LNG carriers and up to 5% lower energy consumption per unit of cargo transported, and the 👉 174,000 cu m LNG FSRU, which features a dual-function design as it can operate both an FSRU and an LNG carrier (LNGC).

(C) Copyright Offshore Energy 2026

ExxonMobil is expected to go out to shipyards with a requirement for LNG carrier newbuildings this year, which could number at least 2️⃣0️⃣ vessels.

The US energy major is firming up the specifications for the vessels it requires and has been having initial discussions about them 🚢

Shipyards expect it to make an initial approach to them in the third quarter before moving on to a formal tender 🤝 at the end of 2026 or early in 2027.

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

GTT has secured an order from Samsung Heavy Industries for the tank design of two 2️⃣ new LNG carriers with a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters.

The tanks will be fitted with GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system 🏢, with the vessel delivery anticipated between 4Q 2028 and 1Q 2029 🎊.

These assignments come more than a month after Hanwha Ocean tasked the French company with the tank design of seven 7️⃣ LNGCs.

(C) Copyright Offshore Energy 2026

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions has secured a contract to supply LNG cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems for two 20,000 cubic meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels 💧 under construction at Zhejiang XinLe Shipbuilding yard in China.

The vessels will be owned by a Hong Kong-based shipowner 🚢. The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The contract covers the delivery of LNG cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems 💻, including system engineering and design, as well as integrated control and monitoring of the complete LNG cargo handling operation.

Equipment deliveries to the yard are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with vessel deliveries expected in the second half of 2027 🎊.

(C) Copyright MArine Link 2026

German energy player Uniper has inked a long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal 🤝 with India’s Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), which provides LNG supplies for the Asian country.

The duo has finalized an LNG supply agreement for up to 0.5 million metric tons (mtpa) 💧, slated to start in January 2028, under which Uniper will deliver LNG to the GSPC into LNG terminals located in west coast of India.

(C) Copyright Offshore Energy 2026

California-based energy marketing company Texawatt has made an application to the US Department of Energy to export LNG 💧 in ISO containers to the Caribbean.

Texawatt and its associated companies are requesting permission to export 51.75 bcf per year of natural gas 💭 as LNG from three US ports to countries with which the US holds free and non-free trade agreements.

Texawatt names the three export points as Port Everglades and the Port of Miami, which are both in Florida, and the Port of Galveston in Texas 📍.

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

US energy provider Stabilis Solutions plans to take a final investment decision on its Galveston liquefaction facility 🏭 and a Jones Act-compliant LNG bunkering vessel project 🚢 by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Stabilis has secured customer commitments for about 56% of the project’s planned 350,000 gallons-per-day capacity 💧.

The company engaged in “late-stage discussions with multiple potential customers” on the remaining available offtake 📊.

(C) Copyright Tradewinds 2026

Cochin Shipyard secured a major international shipbuilding contract worth about 💰360 million from CMA CGM Group

Under the agreement, Cochin Shipyard will build and deliver six 6️⃣ LNG-powered (liquefied natural gas) container vessels, marking a significant addition to its commercial shipbuilding portfolio.

(C) Copyright Offshore Energy 2026

🎥 Inside the LNG cargo containment system – GTT Mark III

In this video, I break down the key components of the GTT Mark III containment system, showing how its membrane and insulation design safely stores LNG at –162°C while allowing greater design flexibility.

Cargo containment is at the heart of LNG shipping safety and efficiency.

👉 If you missed it, check the previous edition covering GTT NO96 to compare the two systems.