Switzerland-based Sallaum Lines has placed an order for two LNG-powered pure car and truck carriers at China’s Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding.
The two firms signed the contract during an online ceremony on November 7 and the vessels would have a capacity of 7,500 units, the Chinese shipbuilder said in a statement.
Moreover, the LNG dual-fuel vessels would have a length of 199.9 meters, a width of 38 meters, and 13 decks.
Mawei Shipbuilding did not reveal the price tag or the delivery dates.
VesselsValue data suggests that Sallaum Lines would pay about $88 million per ship and take delivery of them in 2025.
According to the website of Sallaum Lines, founded by Ibrahim Sallaum, the firm is the 10th largest vehicle carrier in the world.
The company’s fleet of PCTCs operates on shipping routes connecting Europe and the USA with North, West, South Africa and the Mediterranean destinations, with plans to cover multiple new global routes in the coming years.
These new ships would be the first LNG-powered PCTCs in the company’s fleet.
With the move, Sallaum Lines joins a growing number of vessel owners opting for LNG as fuel for PCTCs, including EPS, NYK, Hoegh Autoliners, Zodiac Maritime, UECC, SAIC Anji, SFL, and others.
DNV’s October data showed that there were 112 LNG-powered car carriers in operation or on order.