Shanghai, China – December 3, 2025 – Swiss marine power giant WinGD has secured a significant long-term service agreement (LTSA) with Hong Kong-based OPearl LNG Ship Management, solidifying a 15-year partnership focused on fleet reliability and operational efficiency for a critical segment of the global LNG transport market.
Signed at the prestigious Marintec exhibition in December, the comprehensive LTSA encompasses 14 LNG carriers managed by OPearl. This strategic move aims to ensure optimal engine performance, maximum uptime, and enhanced efficiency as OPearl meets the escalating and increasingly demanding requirements of the worldwide liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade.
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Key Details of the Service Agreement
The 15-year service contract, delivered through Global Service by WinGD, covers a suite of essential services for OPearl’s fleet, which is powered by a combination of:
- Four WinGD 6X72DF-2.2 engines.
- Ten WinGD 5X72DF-2.1 engines.
The comprehensive package includes:
- Spare Parts supply.
- Field Services.
- Dedicated Technical Support.
- Advanced Performance Monitoring.
- Proactive Maintenance Planning.
- Specialized Crew Training.
Commitment to Uptime and Reliability
WinGD’s Director of Global Service, Rudi Holbecker, underscored the critical nature of seamless operation in the LNG sector.
“With a decade of providing innovative engine solutions and warranty support for LNG carriers, WinGD understands the global LNG market relies on prompt deliveries. Meeting tight delivery schedules requires vessels that operate with maximum uptime and minimum disruption, this agreement gives OPearl the confidence that their engines will deliver consistent, worry-free performance, voyage after voyage.”
OPearl: Meeting Rising LNG Demand
OPearl LNG Ship Management, a company founded in December 2023 through a joint venture between industry heavyweights China Merchant LNG, NYK LINE, and CNOOC, emphasized the service deal’s role in future-proofing its operations.
Captain. Nomura, General Manager of OPearl, highlighted the rising demand drivers: “Whether it’s sustainability or energy security, demand for LNG is rising and our customers depend on us to deliver safely, reliably and promptly time after time. This long-term agreement with WinGD provides our fleet operational reliability, efficiency and sustainability profile to meet our targets, both today and in the future.”
Global Service by WinGD: A Full-Lifecycle Solution
The LTSA leverages the recently launched Global Service by WinGD solution, introduced in June this year. This offering marks WinGD’s continued commitment to supporting customers through the entire lifecycle of their fleet.
Built on more than 125 years of two-stroke engine design expertise, the Global Service solution integrates WinGD’s deep understanding of vessel energy systems with a robust global network capable of delivering:
- On-time and on-budget field service.
- Expert technical support.
- A portfolio including digital optimisation, hybrid energy integration and management, and crew training.
The deal between WinGD and OPearl highlights the industry’s shift towards proactive, long-term maintenance partnerships to ensure fleet readiness and efficiency, a necessity given the increasing global reliance on LNG as a transitional marine fuel and power source.
About OPearl LNG Ship Management
OPearl LNG Ship Management Company Limited is a ship-management entity officially founded in Hong Kong in December 2023. This strategic joint venture was established by three major players in the global maritime and energy sectors: NYK LINE, a renowned Japanese shipping giant; CMES LNG Shipping Company Limited (CMLNG), a subsidiary of the prominent Chinese conglomerate China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES); and CETS Investment Management (HK) Co., Ltd. (CETS), a subsidiary of the CNOOC Group.
OPearl’s primary objective is to oversee the management of a growing fleet of LNG carriers, including six vessels chartered to CNOOC Gas and Power Singapore Trading & Marketing Pte. Ltd. The collaboration leverages NYK’s extensive LNG carrier management expertise—it is the company’s sixth such management entity globally—to contribute to global energy stability and reduced carbon emissions through the safe and reliable transportation of liquefied natural gas.
About WinGD
WinGD advances the decarbonisation of marine transportation through sustainable energy systems using the most advanced technologies in emissions reduction, fuel efficiency, hybridisation and digital optimisation. With their two-stroke low-speed engines at the heart of the power equation, WinGD sets the industry standard for reliability, safety, efficiency, and environmental design – supported by Global Service by WinGD, which delivers tailored 24X7 lifecycle engine support through Swiss engineering excellence, dependable maintenance, rapid global response, and genuine parts to keep engines performing at their best.
Headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland since its origin as the Sulzer Diesel Engine business in 1893, today it is powering the transformation to a sustainable future.
Source: WinGD