Japanese shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines has finally inked a long-rumoured contract to charter an LNG carrier newbuilding to French energy major TotalEnergies.

MOL said today that the multi-year charter on the 174,000-cbm LNG newbuilding, which is under construction at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, was signed with the major’s subsidiary TotalEnergies Gas & Power on 26 September.