Unchartered territory: One-third of LNG newbuildings on order remain without employment

One-third of LNG newbuildings on order are unchartered, or their owners have yet to declare them fixed for business, in a market in which demand and trade forecasts have been lowered by coronavirus.

A study of the orderbook by TradeWinds — alongside information provided by brokers and owners — shows that of the 132 large, pure LNG carriers and floating storage and regasification units on order, 45 (34%) appear to have no firm charters.