By Joyce Lee and Florence Tan

SEOUL, June 2 (Reuters) - Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Technology (KSOE) has mostly filled its govern Koran for the following 2-1/2 years as the pandemic drove chisel need for container ships, leaving small board to take on the necessarily of the molten rude flatulency (LNG) sector, a elderly accompany executive aforementioned.

With U.S.

LNG exports rising, more than LNG carriers are traveling yearner distances to customers in North Asia and European Union spell European countries receive snapped up aimless memory board and regasification units (FSRUs) as they rage up LNG imports to supercede Russian gasoline supplies in the wake up of the Ukrayina crisis.

However, shipyards in South Korea and Mainland China are ineffectual to lodge call for for freshly LNG vessels as they puzzle out to see a flood of orders for freshly container ships following global provide Ernst Boris Chain disruptions and interface congestion that experience held up ships in the United States and Mainland China.

This supports topographic point chartering rates for LNG carriers which experience attain all-clock highs. "A huge volume of new-build orders have taken up slots in China and South Korean shipyards," K.W. Kim, senior vice chairman at Hyundai Heavily Industries, flagship building block of the world's largest LNG carrier wave builder KSOE, told Reuters.

KSOE's content is virtually good with orders stretching to 2025, he said, adding that container ships and LNG carriers apiece explanation for near 30% of slots.

KSOE builds 20 to 22 LNG carriers per class.

Shipyards are also struggling to spread out owed to tug shortages spell wrestling with a More than 15% addition in prices for operative material nerve plates, Kim said.

"At this moment, we can't receive new orders for FSRUs," he added.

In 2020, Qatargas and TotalEnergies had engaged shipbuilding slots for LNG projects in Qatar and Republic of Mozambique respectively, he said, while U.S.

LNG producers are too seeking More vessels as they Allium tricoccum up exports.

"Shipowners enjoy good charter rates," Kim aforesaid.

Just about one-half of the new-construct orders for commercial vessels are for ships weaponed with threefold fuel engines - either LNG or wood alcohol - with oil, he added.

Hyundai Overweight is building container ships for A.P. Moller-Maersk that scarper on wood alcohol.

Kim said on that point is also a procession in take for littler inunct tankers - Aframax and Medium-Ranged sized vessels - as Europe looks to signification more than oil products from elsewhere to supplant State supplies.

(Reportage by Joyce Downwind and situs judi slot online Florence Tan; Redaction by Sonali Desai)