China’s gas companies should sign more long-term LNG contracts in order to take advantage of a global surplus of the fuel, Zhang Guobao, head of the National Energy Administration, said in a press release.

China State Shipbuilding Co. (CSSC), the nation’s biggest shipyard, launched three self-developed models of LNG ships today.

The three vessels, with a capacity of 160,000 cubic meters, 175,000 cubic meters and 220,000 cubic meters respectively, are built to meet China’s increasing shipping demand.

The LNG vessel, often dubbed as the "maritime super freezer," is regarded as a high-tech product with high-added value since natural gas can only be transformed into liquefied form after the temperature drops below minus 163 degrees Celsius.

The yard had delivered five LNG vessels by December last year since it started researching LNG designing and manufacturing technologies in 1997. The country's first LNG ship sailed off in December 2005.

Chinese oil companies including PetroChina Co. and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., known as Sinopec, are increasing gas output and imports to ease a supply shortfall caused by a cold snap since last month. China imported about 3.5 million metric tons of LNG last year, or about 6 percent of the nation’s total demand, Zhang went on to say.

China will start building more LNG terminals this year in places including Zhuhai, in southern Guangdong province, and Shandong province, according to Zhang.

The country plans to speed up construction of natural gas pipelines and storage facilities on the coast.

CSSC had a global market share of 9.1 percent in 2009, making it the world's second-largest shipbuilder in terms of deadweight tonnage after South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries, Tan Zuojun, the company's general manager, said in an interview with Xinhua in January.

China is one of the few nations to harness LNG-making technology.