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TMS Cardiff Gas has signed a contract with South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the construction of one 174,000-cubic-metre (cbm) LNG carrier (LNGC) featuring dual-fuel, X-DF propulsion, with an option for a second vessel.

The order is the first in the company's X Carrier series orders, which expands the firm's fleet of managed vessels to 10.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2020, when it will enter into a seven-year time charter contract with Total Gas & Power Chartering, Ltd.

Christos Economou, founder of TMS Cardiff Gas, commented: "We are delighted to secure a new long-term time charter with TOTAL, one of the leading global energy companies. Total is an important customer for TMS Cardiff Gas and we look forward to providing them with first class LNG shipping services as they continue to expand their LNG activities."

Winterthur Gas & Diesel's (WinGD) dual-fuel, low-speed X-DF engines are said to employ a lean air-gas mixture ignited by the injection of a small amount of liquid fuel to achieve high fuel efficiency, very stable combustion and the low formation of nitrogen oxide (NOx), enabling IMO Tier III compliance in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) without exhaust after-treatment.

Earlier this week, LNG carrier operator GasLog announced that its newbuild would also feature WinGD X-DF propulsion.

Dual-fuel technology is offered on all of WinGD's 'generation X' engines.