Swedish shipping company Wallenius Lines has ordered LNG-powered car carriers from Chinese yard CIMC Raffles.
The 2+2+2 contract includes two firm dual-fueled car carriers and four options, according to a statement by CIMC Raffles, part of the CIMC group.
This order adds to the two LNG-powered RoRo vessels CIMC Raffles is already building for Wallenius SOL, a joint venture of Wallenius Lines and Swedish Orient Linien.
The new Knud E. Hansen-designed vessels would have a total car capacity of 6,500 units, CIMC Raffles said.
Moreover, the ships will be 200 meters long and 37 meters wide, and they will feature type C LNG tanks.
The Chinese yard did not reveal the delivery dates or the price tag of the vessels, but shipbuilding sources told LNG Prime that Wallenius would pay about $71 million per vessel.
Besides these LNG-powered ships at CIMC Raffles, Wallenius has three hybrid LNG-powered pure truck and car carriers on order at China’s Jiangnan Shipyard.
These vessels will work for Norway-based United European Car Carriers, a joint venture of NYK and Wallenius. UECC already operates two LNG-powered PCTCs but these ships do not feature battery power.