German-owned shipping line has ordered a total of 24 new vessels from two shipyards in China
Shipping line Hapag-Lloyd is to spend around US$4bn on 24 new container ships with a combined capacity of 312,000 TEU, as it looks to replace older vessels in its fleet that will go out of service towards the end of the decade.
Half of the newbuilds will come from Chinese company Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, each with a capacity of 16,800 TEU.
The other 12, which hold 9,200 TEU each, have been ordered another Chinese shipyard called New Times Shipbuilding Company.
According to Hapag-Lloyd, all of the ships will be equipped with dual-fuel engines that can operate either on liquified gas or biomethane.
Compared with conventional systems, these offer a dramatic potential reduction in CO2e emissions, and can be switched to run on ammonia it noted.
“This investment is one of the largest in the recent history of Hapag-Lloyd, and it represents a significant milestone for our company as it pursues the goals of its Strategy 2030, such as to grow while also modernising and decarbonising our fleet,” said Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen.
“Operating a fleet of more efficient vessels will also enhance our competitive position, and thanks to the increase in capacity, we will continue to offer our customers a global, high-quality product.”
Hapag-Lloyd currently controls 287 container ships with a total capacity of 2.2mn TEU.
In a separate development, the group has reportedly bought out its fleet management partner Hamburger Lloyd, which manages a fleet of 29 ships on its behalf.
