Zhong Lun Assists Two Chinese Leasing Companies in Two Sale and Leasing Deals of LNG Carriers
Zhong Lun Assists Two Chinese Leasing Companies in Two Sale and Leasing Deals of LNG Carriers
Green shipping, dual carbon goals, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the European energy crisis have all contributed to an unprecedented level of activity in the LNG shipping market. In merely six months from April to October 2022, Zhong Lun acted for Taiping & Sinopec Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. and Huaxia Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. in two leasing transactions to purchase two LNG carriers, namely the 137,000-cbm Gemmata and the 145,000-cbm Methane Heather Sally, respectively from Shell and GasLog Partners. Both leasing companies then chartered their vessels to Shandong Marine Energy in Singapore, a subsidiary of the third largest shipping company in China.
Zhong Lun, as the leading counsel, provided a full spectrum of legal services for the two projects, ranging from deal structuring, document drafting, contract negotiation to closing of the deals and launching of the vessels, with the deals closed as planned amid the Covid-19 pandemic, thus buttressing the organizations’ efforts to expand their footprints in the global LNG transport market and step up green financial services.
The Zhong Lun team comprised of partner Yin (Steven) Zhou and associates Long Wang and Lexi Shen.