Gail India Floats Tender for LNG Vessels

Indian state run company Gail India has issued a tender to hire nine ships to transport LNG from the US, Financial Express newspaper reported Saturday citing a company tender.

The company wants to hire newly built ships to transport up to 5.8 million tonne per annum of LNG it had contracted in the US.

“The present bid is calling for 9 LNG vessels in lots of three vessels each, of a cargo capacity of not less than 150,000 cubic meters and not more than 180,000 cubic meters," the tender said.

The bidders will be required to quote for lots of three vessels, with a provision that under each lot, one of the ships shall be built in an Indian shipyard, the newspaper quoted from the tender document.

The bidder can quote either for one, two or all three lots.

Of the first two lots, Gail said it wants delivery of the four LNG ships from overseas shipyards between August 1, 2017 and ending on March 31, 2018, Financial Express said.

The remaining two vessels from Indian shipyards will be delivered within six years of award of contract.

Gail has supply deal with U.S.-based Cheniere Energy to buy 3.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for 20 years and another 2.3 mtpa at Dominion Energy's Cove Point liquefaction plant.