Turkey's state energy company Botas has launched a tender for a firm 940-day time charter for an LNG carrier, roughly two years and seven months, as it keeps building out its own gas shipping capacity.

The Ankara-based operator wants a vessel built in 2015 or later with cargo capacity between 173,600 and 175,000 cu m — the standard modern two-tranche membrane size. Bids are due by October 15 and must be priced in US dollars, calculated as daily hire multiplied by the 940-day firm period.

The charter carries an option for Botas to extend or shorten the term by up to 60 days. The tender is open to both Turkish and international owners.

What does the tender require technically?

Botas has set strict technical thresholds that narrow the field to younger, efficiently run tonnage:

• Service speed above 19 knots
• Maximum boil-off rate of 0.1% per day on a fully laden voyage
• Full or partial reliquefaction system, or a sub-cooler, fitted on board
• A recent SIRE 2.0 inspection report supplied by the owner

The reliquefaction and sub-cooler requirement is commercially significant: owners of older steam-turbine tonnage without cargo-loss mitigation cannot bid, concentrating competition among post-2015 builds that already command premium rates in the spot market. For shipowners, a 940-day fixture with a state-backed charterer offers rare revenue visibility in a segment where tripartite fixtures have shortened.

For Botas, the tender extends a shipping push that began earlier this year. In April, the company sought prequalification bids for the construction of two 174,000 cu m LNG carriers, targeting experienced South Korean builders.

Taken together, the two moves signal Ankara's intent to control freight rather than rely solely on third-party capacity as Turkey's LNG import portfolio grows. Forwarders and traders shipping gas into Turkish terminals should expect Botas to become a more visible operator in the Atlantic and Mediterranean fixture market once the charter starts.

Market participants will watch the October 15 bid submissions for a read on where long-period rates for modern 174,000 cu m tonnage settle, and whether Botas converts its April newbuild prequalification into firm orders at Korean yards.