China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC) has held keel-laying ceremonies for two LNG-powered containerships it is building for Switzerland-based shipping giant MSC.
According to a statement by the CSSC-controlled shipbuilder, it held the first ceremony for the 16,000-teu vessel with a hull name C16K-12 on June 3.
The second keel-laying ceremony for the vessel with a hull name C16K-13 was held on June 4.
In November last year, DSIC started construction on the vessel C16K-13 and in September it started building the vessel C16K-12.
DSIC floated out the LNG dual-fuel containership, MSC Mariacristina, in April this year.
This is the first 16,000-teu LNG-powered vessel it is building for MSC.
The newbuild is 366 meters long and 51 meters wide, and can carry more than 16,200 standard containers.
The main WinGD engine has the iCER diesel energy-saving tech and can use low sulphur fuel oil and LNG, DSIC said.
Also, the containership and its sister vessels will feature a type B LNG tank independently designed and built by DSIC.
The tanks have a capacity of 13,000 cbm.
According to VesselsValue data, MSC has six 16,000-teu containerships on order at DSIC and scheduled for delivery in 2025.
LNG Prime reported in January 2022 that MSC was behind an order for six LNG-powered container vessels at CSSC’s DSIC.