Qatar’s LNG newbuilds getting safety upgrade under €22.7M deal

Maritime Protection, an affiliate of global survival technology solutions provider Survitec, has won a contract to supply dry inert gas systems for 24 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers under construction in China as part of QatarEnergy’s LNG fleet expansion program.

According to Maritime Protection, the €22.7 million contract entails the delivery of high-capacity dry inert gas generators, each rated at 21,000 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/h).

The systems are slated for delivery on a rolling basis from 2026 to 2030, as each of the 24 LNG carriers being built in China for a consortium of five shipowners is completed.

The firm says it won the new contract following a competitive, multi-party evaluation process. The win is thought to underscore its ability to deliver complex safety solutions for what it says are some of the most advanced vessels in commercial shipbuilding.

“This is a defining contract for Maritime Protection,” said Bernt Øhrn, Managing Director at Maritime Protection. “It’s the largest single order in our history and reflects the growing demand for engineered safety systems in the LNG sector.”

The company also sees this as reinforcing the strategic value of its integrated delivery model, combining engineering, manufacturing, and service to support customers during the vessel’s lifecycle.

“Throughout the quotation process, it became clear that the shipowners were focused on securing a technically mature solution from a supplier with a long-standing track record in the LNG sector. The vessels involved are among the largest and most advanced of their type, and the equipment requirements reflect that scale,” noted Maritime Protection’s Director of Sales, Knut Kaupang.

Maritime Protection said the latest contract win brings the total number of gas tankers equipped by its dry inert gas generators to over 400 since 2005, with more than half of those commissioned in the past five years.

As explained, maintaining an oxygen level of approximately 1% in the cargo tanks is essential to prevent explosions and fires. Inert gas systems are therefore used to ensure it is safe to take cargo onboard tankers. 

Each system features a combustion chamber, chiller unit, cooler, and dryer. Additionally, the design’s horizontal layout is said to eliminate the risk of hydrocarbons in the seawater drain. The systems are also built to meet the approval standards of all major classification societies.

QatarEnergy’s fleet expansion program, which includes 128 vessels, is said to form part of an initiative to meet the increasing international demand for LNG amid ongoing shifts in global energy supply.

The program saw several milestones last month. Two steel-cutting ceremonies took place in South Korea: one for 17 new LNG carriers at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and another one for one LNG carrier at Samsung Heavy Industries.

Before that, China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Limited delivered an LNG carrier named Al Tuwar to the Qatari player. Its sister ship, Al Mas’habiyyah, is scheduled for delivery on July 30, 2025.