The purpose of increasing the size of LNG carriers is
to help lower the unit transportation cost. As the quantity
of LNG to be transported for a project does not vary
much, employment of large LNGs can reduce the number
of shipping operations and greatly save transporting
costs.
For example, in the case of an LNG transport project
for transporting five million tons per year from the
Middle East to Japan, this requires seven 135 000-cubic
meter carriers, six 160 000-cubic meter carriers or five
200 000-cubic meter carriers.
This means that the transportation cost for the operation
of a 135 000-cubic meter LNG carrier can be
reduced by six per cent when a 160 000-cubic meter carrier
is used instead, or by fourteen per cent with the use
of a 200 000-cubic meter carrier.