QatarEnergy is set to add two 174,000 m3 dual-fuel LNG carriers to its fleet.

The two LNG carriers were named Sharq and Shra’ouh in a ceremony by the K Line-led joint venture, which has a charter deal with QatarEnergy, K Line said in a statement on its website on Thursday.

The naming ceremony was held at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries yard.

The vessels are the seventh and eighth of a series of 12 LNG vessels that the joint venture, comprising K Line, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Limited, and MISC Berhad, is building for QatarEnergy.

Both vessels feature dual-fuel engines from WinGD, allowing them to run on LNG and conventional marine fuels.

LNG is viewed as the most mature alternative bunker fuel currently available. While it emits less CO2 than conventional fuels, methane is a potent greenhouse gas, undermining part of the fuel’s green credentials.

Some shipowners are looking towards cleaner bio-LNG as an alternative, as it can be used in existing LNG-fuelled ships and delivers higher net GHG savings.