New medium-range LNG carrier order highlights SHI’s 174K-class design

A fresh 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier order keeps Samsung Heavy Industries’ SHI 174K-class design in the spotlight, combining dual-fuel propulsion, GTT NO96 containment and an efficiency focus that targets global LNG trade growth.

Edited by ad hoc news New Releases & Launches Desk. Reviewed before publication on 06/15/2026 at 10:35 PM ET. Details in the imprint.

Samsung Heavy Industries’ latest contract for a 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier based on its SHI 174K-class design underlines how the Korean shipbuilder is positioning itself for the next wave of LNG transport demand. The newbuild, ordered by an undisclosed shipowner and scheduled for delivery in the late 2020s, will feature dual-fuel propulsion and a GTT NO96 membrane containment system focused on cutting boil-off and fuel consumption. According to Samsung Heavy Industries, LNG carriers of this class currently account for a significant portion of its orderbook, underscoring their role as a core product line in the company’s marine portfolio.

What defines SHI’s 174K-class LNG carrier?

The SHI 174K-class LNG carrier is a medium-size LNG transport vessel optimized around a capacity of roughly 174,000 cubic meters, a sweet spot that balances cargo volume with compatibility for major LNG routes and terminals worldwide. The design pairs a GTT NO96 or Mark III membrane cargo containment system with a dual-fuel propulsion plant, allowing the vessel to burn both conventional marine fuels and LNG from its own cargo as bunker fuel. Samsung Heavy Industries highlights this size and configuration as a response to charterers’ focus on operating cost, emissions and port flexibility, which has made 174K-class tonnage the dominant segment in recent newbuilding programs.

In recent contracts disclosed by the company, SHI has repeatedly specified GTT’s NO96 series membrane tanks combined with high-efficiency re-liquefaction and boil-off gas management systems, enabling cargo evaporation rates that are typically well below 0.1 percent per day. These technical choices give owners more options in voyage planning, as reduced boil-off translates into lower fuel use or the ability to deliver more LNG to the discharge terminal without sacrificing speed. A typical arrangement for SHI’s 174K-class pairs the cargo system with two-stroke high-pressure dual-fuel engines, shaft generators and optimized hull lines, a configuration aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions under tightening IMO rules. According to GTT, its NO96 technology is widely used on modern large LNG carriers and is designed to support long-haul routes with minimal losses as outlined in GTT’s technical overview of LNG carrier containment systems.

For shipowners and charterers, the commercial appeal of SHI’s 174K-class lies in its combination of standardized hull form and customizable equipment package. By offering a common platform, SHI can integrate owner-specific choices in propulsion, reliquefaction capacity, emissions abatement systems and digital monitoring, while still keeping design and production costs under control. The 174K size category also fits into LNG terminal infrastructure across Asia, Europe and the Americas, making the ships versatile assets that can be redeployed as trade flows shift. That flexibility is increasingly important as buyers diversify away from single suppliers, resulting in more complex patterns of long-term and spot LNG trades.

Samsung Heavy Industries stresses that it has focused on hull hydrodynamics and machinery layout to reduce both fuel burn and life-cycle emissions for the SHI 174K-class, positioning the vessel to help operators comply with IMO’s Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index and Carbon Intensity Indicator rules over the coming decades. Advanced digital systems for performance monitoring and predictive maintenance can be integrated into the bridge and engine control architecture, which allows fleet managers to fine-tune routing and speed profiles. Industry analysts note that such incremental efficiency gains can translate into substantial savings across a large fleet of LNG carriers when fuel prices and charter rates are volatile, and that standardized designs like SHI’s 174K-class make it easier to scale those optimizations across multiple sister ships.

Recent order announcements from Samsung Heavy Industries illustrate the momentum behind this product line. Over the last year, the shipbuilder has booked a series of contracts for multiple 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carriers with global shipowners, often bundling several vessels in a single deal. These contracts typically specify dual-fuel propulsion and GTT cargo containment technology similar to the configuration in the latest order, reinforcing the 174K-class as SHI’s reference design for conventional LNG shipping. According to SHI’s own disclosures, LNG carriers, together with very large crude carriers and ultra-large container ships, form the backbone of its high-value shipbuilding business and play a central role in its strategy to focus on complex, technology-intensive vessels as indicated in recent investor communications from Samsung Heavy Industries.

Strategically, the SHI 174K-class LNG carrier sits at the intersection of energy transition trends and traditional shipbuilding strengths in South Korea. As global LNG trade grows and buyers insist on lower emissions from well to wake, shipowners are under pressure to invest in tonnage that can meet charterers’ environmental requirements without sacrificing flexibility. SHI’s standardized 174K design, with its focus on efficient dual-fuel propulsion and established membrane technology, is designed to anchor the company’s share of this market segment. Samsung Heavy Industries is publicly listed in Seoul under the ISIN US8293521060; its shares most actively trade on the Korea Exchange, where the stock closed at KRW 6,410 on 06/13/2026, according to recent market data compiled from KRX and financial terminals as reflected in the Korea Exchange’s latest Samsung Heavy Industries listing information.

SHI 174K-class LNG carrier in brief

• Product: SHI 174K-class 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier
• Manufacturer: Samsung Heavy Industries Co.
• Category: New Release/Launch (shipbuilding, LNG carrier)
• Launch date: Design family established in the 2010s; latest contract deliveries in the late 2020s
• MSRP / Price: Typical contract prices for 174K-class LNG carriers are in the several hundred million dollar range per vessel, depending on specification
• Availability: Built to order for global shipowners and LNG charterers, primarily at SHI’s Korean shipyards
• Target audience: International shipowners, energy companies and LNG traders needing modern tonnage for global LNG transport
• Key differentiator / USP: Standardized 174,000-cubic-meter platform combining GTT membrane containment, dual-fuel propulsion and efficiency-focused design to address cost and emissions targets

This article was a.i.-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without warranty; prices and availability may change at short notice. Not investment advice and not a buy or sell recommendation. Trading involves risk up to and including the total loss of invested capital.