LNG Carrier
An LNG Carrier is a specialised gas carrier that transports liquefied natural gas (LNG) — natural gas cooled to about −162°C, at which it becomes a liquid roughly 1/600th of its gaseous volume, making it economic to ship. The cargo is held in massive, heavily insulated cryogenic tanks, typically of the membrane type or the spherical Moss type (the distinctive domes).
LNG carriers are among the most technologically advanced and expensive merchant ships. They manage boil-off gas (LNG that naturally vaporises in transit), historically using it as fuel — and modern LNG carriers often run on it. They load and discharge at specialised liquefaction (export) and regasification (import) terminals. With natural gas central to the energy transition and global energy security, the LNG trade and its fleet have grown rapidly, and LNG carriers are a strategically important, high-value segment of shipping. They also connect to the wider move toward LNG as a marine fuel.
LNG carriers make it possible to ship natural gas across oceans by liquefying it — and as gas becomes central to energy security and the transition, these advanced, costly ships have become strategically vital. Their cryogenic technology, boil-off handling and specialised terminals make them a high-value segment, and they tie into LNG's rise as a cleaner marine fuel.
How is natural gas shipped as a liquid?
It is cooled to about −162°C, shrinking to ~1/600th of its volume, and carried in insulated cryogenic tanks.
What is boil-off gas?
LNG that naturally vaporises in transit; it is managed and often used as fuel for the carrier.