Energy trader BGN is stepping up its presence in shipping, placing a fresh order for very large gas carriers in South Korea as it builds out its LPG and LNG footprint. The company has signed for four 90,000 cu m dual-fuel VLGCs at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, with deliveries due in the second half of 2029. Shipbuilder’s parent company, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, put the contract value at about $456m, or $114m per ship. The newbuilds will be designed to run on both conventional and lower-emissions fuels. BGN said the ships will also be capable of carrying cleaner cargoes such as ammonia, giving the fleet added flexibility as fuel markets shift. The move adds to a growing shipping portfolio for the trader, which handles about 14m tonnes of LPG a year and operates a fleet of more than 40 gas carriers. BGN is also widening its reach beyond LPG, with the recent entry into the LNG carrier segment through a joint venture with Greece’s Capital Clean Energy Carriers. The company’s shipping director, Ozan Turgut, said at the time that BGN is aiming to expand its fleet with two new LNG carriers by 2027 and 10 new LPG vessels by 2029. The group has also been building partnerships to support that growth, including joint ventures with South Korea’s HMM and Abu Dhabi-listed Al Seer Marine, both focused on the LPG carrier space. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsSouth Korea Switzerland United Arab Emirates