A joint venture between PetroChina and Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation (CSET) has signed its planned order for three LNG carrier newbuildings worth $554m at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) in Shanghai.

The 174,000-cbm vessels, priced at about $185m each, are due for delivery in October 2022 and January and April 2023 respectively.

In an exchange filing, Shanghai and Hong Kong-listed CSET said the vessels will be chartered to PetroChina International — a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroChina — for at least 20 years.