MOL names second LNG carrier for charter with GAIL

TOKYO : Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has revealed that a naming ceremony was held for the second liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier to serve GAIL (India), the largest natural gas supplier under India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

As informed, the naming ceremony for the vessel Gail Urja, which was built by South Korean shipbuilding major Hanwha Ocean, was held at Okpo Shipyard on December 19.

The vessel has a length of 294.9 meters, and a beam of 46.3. meters. The capacity of the LNG carrier is 174,000 cbm.

After delivery, Gail Urja is heading towards the US for its first loading. The ship will be engaged mainly in LNG transport from North America to India under a time charter contract with GAIL.

Back in 2022, GAIL and MOL signed a charter agreement for the LNG carrier. It is expected that demand for gas will be increasing continuously in India, registering significant economic growth. MOL has been participating in the Indian market since the beginning of LNG import into the country. The first LNG carrier newbuild, Gail Bhuwan, was named at a ceremony held in February 2021.