Bermuda-based ship owner and charterer SFL Corporation has welcomed the fourth LNG dual-fuel car carrier, Thor Highway, to its fleet.
The car carrier, built by Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, was delivered more than a month ahead of schedule, on March 28, as the final piece of a four-unit order placed in 2021 .
As disclosed previously, Thor Highway will go on a ten-year charter with Japanese shipping major K Line.
SFL welcomed the first two LNG dual-fuel car carriers, Wolfsburg and Emden , in 2023. The vessels have been chartered out to Volkswagen for ten years.
The third ship, Odin Highway , joined SFL’s fleet at the beginning of 2024 and it was also contracted by K-Line under a ten-year time charter agreement.
All four ships feature a capacity of 7,000 car equivalent units (CEU) and are equipped with dual-fuel technology, allowing for a transition between LNG and conventional fuel, thus enhancing operational flexibility and aligning with global efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the maritime industry.
The ships’ dual-fuel propulsion system has an endurance of up to 15,000 nautical miles.
The ships have a total length of 200 meters, a width of 38 meters, a design draft of 8.6 meters, and a design speed of 19 knots. Two out of 13 decks can be loaded with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.