China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has kicked off construction of 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships ordered by Singapore-based shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL).
The beginning of the construction of the first vessel from this series was marked with a steel-cutting ceremony at Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai on May 19.
To remind, PIL placed a shipbuilding order at the Chinese yard for five 13,000 TEU containerships to be powered by LNG dual-fuel engines in August 2024 as part of its fleet renewal initiative.
The vessels are expected to be delivered progressively from the end of 2026.
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The newbuilds will incorporate the latest technological and energy-saving features, in addition to dual-fuel engines and auxiliaries to run on both LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil.
The vessels will also harness artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things to automate tasks, contributing towards more efficient operations and a safer working environment, PIL said.
The Singaporean shipowner also opened its new site office located inside Hudong-Zhonghua’s new corporate headquarters to “foster an even closer collaboration with Hudong Zhonghua” in designing and building its new vessels with a focus on efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
PIL’s Chief Marine Officer, Abhishek Chawla , commented on the occasion: “At PIL, we have partnered with Hudong Zhonghua to build 10 state-of-the-art container vessels as part of our fleet renewal programme to expand and modernise our fleet. Hudong Zhonghua’s new office is a remarkable state-of-the-art facility with additional major production areas and the most advanced intelligent systems in China. For customers like PIL, the new facilities are a significant advantage for the execution of our vessels.”
PIL also has five LNG dual-fuel 9,000 TEU containerships on order at Hudong-Zhonghua, with deliveries scheduled for 2027 and 2028.
In other recent news, the shipping company hosted the naming ceremony for its first 8,200 TEU LNG dual-fuel containership built at the Yangzijiang Shipbuilding yard in China as the first of four O Class vessels.