Containerships Ltd Oy, GNS Shipping/Nordic Hamburg, and ARKON Shipping have ordered two state-of-the-art, dual-fuel engine-technology container ships.
The new ships will feature innovative design elements for the European short-sea trade. Containerships will be chartering the ships over the long term, the owner and technical manager will be GNS Shipping/Nordic Hamburg, while Arkon will be the commercial manager and the charter broker.
The ships, both of which will be delivered in the course of 2016, will use liquefied natural gas (LNG) but will also be able to burn conventional marine diesel oil/heavy fuel—hence the “dual-fuel engine technology” label. Containerships will thus be the first short-sea container operator in Europe to run ships on LNG.
Kari-Pekka Laaksonen notes that the decision to invest in the dual-fuel engine technology is fully in line with the Containerships’ long-term strategy: “We are a short-sea operator that is in it for the long haul—and these state-of-the art ships are just one part of our long-term strategy.
In addition to offering the most ecologically sustainable solution, the intake capacity of these ships will allow us to keep meeting growing customer demand. And we’re confident that both of our partners on this project have the know-how and the experience to deliver.”
[mappress] Press Release, May 9, 2014; Image: Containerships