Qatargas Delivers First Q-Max Cargo to Japan

Qatargas has delivered its first Q-Max cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan.

The cargo was delivered to Chubu Electric’s Chita Terminal by the Q-Max LNG carrier “Mozah.”

Delivering a speech to mark the occasion onboard the carrier, Sheikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatargas said: “Today marks a new page in the history of the global LNG industry of which Japan once again demonstrates it is at the forefront.

We are pleased to see the first delivery here at Chita Terminal of a Q-Max LNG carrier – the Mozah.

It is our honour to be with you to celebrate this remarkable milestone in the history of the LNG industry.

This is further evidence of the close relationship the State of Qatar enjoys with Japan under the guidance and direction of His Excellency Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry.”

Qatargas’ state-of-the art Q-Max LNG carriers are capable of delivering 266,000 cubic meters of LNG during a single voyage.

They are the biggest LNG carriers in the world.

The company’s fleet of Q-Flex and Q-Max carriers represents a step-change in LNG shipping technology.

Not only are they 50 to 80 per cent larger than conventional LNG carriers, they also contain an on-board reliquefaction system.

In addition to this, key environmental objectives have been taken into consideration in the build.

With approximately 40 per cent lower carbon emissions than conventional carriers, they offer a safe, efficient and reliable means of delivering LNG around the world.

Sheikh Khalid added: “The State of Qatar is well on its way to reaching its goal of having 77 million tonnes of LNG production capacity by the end of this year and in doing so reinforcing its position as the leading LNG supplier in the world.

To help the State of Qatar achieve this vision, Qatargas embarked on an expansion program to build the world’s largest LNG trains.

“Mega-trains,” as we like to call them, produce 7.8 million tonnes of LNG per year.

With our expansion projects and the added use of the Q-Max carriers, we will be able to deliver more LNG to Chubu Electric more efficiently.

It is our sincere hope that the use of the Q-Max will enable Chubu Electric and Qatargas to deepen our relationship and mutual understanding.”

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Source: Qatargas, July 19, 2010;