has pioneered the development of two new classes of LNG carriers, referred to as Q-Flex and Q-Max. Each ship has a cargo capacity of between and is equipped with a re-liquefaction plant. Today we see interest for small scale LNG bunker carriers. Some need to stay below the life rafts of Cruise ships and Ropax vessels. Examples are the Damen LGC 3000 and the Seagas. By 2005 a total of 203 vessels had been built, of which 193 were still in service. At the end of 2016, the global LNG shipping fleet consisted of 439 vessels. In 2017, an estimated 170 vessels are in use at any one time. At the end of 2018, the global fleet was approximately 550 vessels. In 2021—2022, an LNG shipment from USA to Europe could return a profit of $133—200 million. Shipping rates were $100,000 per day even for 5-year contracts, but can vary between $60,000—250,000. New building In 2021, 90 new LNG carriers were ordered. By 2022, high demand had shifted deliveries of new orders to 2027. In November 2018, South Korean ship builders locked in 3 years worth of large-scale LNG carrier contracts - more than 50 orders - with a value of $9 billion. South Korean builders captured 78% of LNG-related ship building contracts in 2018, with 14% going to Japanese builders and 8% going to Chinese builders. The new contracts would boost the global LNG fleet by 10%. Of the global fleet, historically, about two-thirds of the ships have been built by South Koreans, 22% by Japanese, 7% by Chinese, and the rest built by a combination of France, Spain, and the United States. South Korea's success stems from innovation and price point; South Korean builders introduced the first ice-breaker type LNG vessels and South Korean builders have been successful in catering to increased customer preference for Q-max vessels over Moss type. In 2018, South Korea's Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) delivered the world's first LNG-fueled bulk carrier. It has the world's largest capacity at 50,000 dwt. According to SIGTTO data, in 2019 there were 154 LNG carriers on order, and 584 operating LNG carriers. In 2017, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering delivered the Christophe de Margerie, an icebreaking LNG tanker of 80,200 deadweight tons. Her capacity of is the consumption of Sweden for a month. She completed her first revenue voyage from Norway via the Northern Sea Route in the