US LNG producer Cheniere Energy has taken in 12 newbuildings on mid to long-term charter contracts, as starts to sell its volumes under different contract models.

Eric Bensaude, Cheniere Marketing managing director of commercial operations and asset optimisation, said the first of the newbuildings will be delivered next year, with the rest staggered over a two-year period into 2022.

Speaking to TradeWinds at the CWC World LNG Summit in Rome, he said the charter hire periods vary between five and seven years.