Petronas has increased its fleet by adding three new LNG carriers in preparation for the Shell-led LNG Canada terminal launch in Kitimat, British Columbia. 

The vessels, which have a cargo capacity of 174,000m³, were constructed in Ulsan, South Korea, at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard.  

Local Malaysian news agency Bernama reported that the ships are now the biggest in Petronas’ varied fleet of vessels.  

According to other media reports, Petronas announced that the three vessels – Puteri Sejinjang, Puteri Mahsuri and Puteri Mayang – were recently named at the HD Hyundai Heavy Yard in Ulsan, South Korea. 

The Malaysian embassy in South Korea said in a statement that these LNG carriers are expected to boost Petronas’ capability to efficiently deliver LNG and meet the increasing demands of its global LNG business. 

The additions to its fleet bring the total number of Petronas' fleet in North America to six, ahead of the scheduled start-up of LNG Canada's gas-export facility later this year.  

According to Bernama, with the arrival of these new vessels, "Petronas reinforces its commitment to deliver this much-needed fuel of choice to its customers [in a] cost-efficient and reliable manner”, according to a statement from the company.  

Petronas owns a 25% stake in the LNG Canada plant in Kitimat, British Columbia, on Canada's west coast.  

The initiative collaborates with prominent energy companies such as Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation and KOGAS. 

One of the most significant energy investments in Canadian history, with a reported price tag of $40bn (C$54.53bn) and approved in late 2018, LNG Canada can potentially transform the country's position in the global LNG market.  

With construction moving “safely and steadily towards completion”, said LNG Canada’s website, the project “remains on track to deliver its first cargo by the middle of this decade”.  

The facility is a long-life asset, and the 40-year export licence enables it to initially export up to 14 million tonnes of LNG per annum, it added.  

Petronas added that with this “strategic expansion of the LNG fleet, the company not only ramps up its readiness for the upcoming start-up of LNG Canada, but also underscores its commitment as a progressive energy partner providing lower-carbon solutions for its customers”, as reported by Bernama.