The ships have been ordered by on the back of 25-year charters to Mitsui & Co to import shale gas-derived LNG from the US.

The 177,000-cbm vessels are due for completion and delivery from MHI’s Nagasaki shipyard in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

They will be put into service for the Cameron LNG Project under way in Louisiana, an initiative in which Mitsui is participating.

The