China International Marine Containers (CIMC) has provided more details regarding a recent containership order that Switzerland-based shipping giant MSC placed at Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard.
Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard, in which CIMC is a shareholder via its leasing unit, will build in total ten 11,500-teu LNG dual-fuel containerships for MSC, CIMC confirmed in a statement.
The LNG-powered containerships will be designed by CIMC ORIC, a unit of CIMC, according to the firm.
Classification societies DNV, LR, and BV will class these 335 meters long and 45.6 meters wide ships with a design speed of 20 knots.
Moreover, CIMC says that the vessels would feature the largest type C LNG fuel storage tank in its class, allowing them to complete a single round trip on China-Europe or China-US routes.
Besides LNG dual-fuel propulsion, the ships would be ammonia-ready as well, according to CIMC.
Zhoushan Changhong International will deliver the vessels in 2025 and 2026.
CIMC did not provide the price tag of the deal.
According to brokers and VesselsValue data, MSC would pay about $120 million per vessel or some $1.2 billion for the entire order.
MSC building LNG-powered fleet
MSC is building a huge fleet of LNG-powered vessels in order to slash emissions and to comply with new IMO rules.
The shipping firm took delivery of its first LNG-powered containership, MSC Washington, from China’s Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in Jiangsu in March last year, followed by the second vessel, MSC Virginia, in July the same year.
However, MSC, which currently has about 730 vessels in its fleet, rarely comments on newbuild orders or charter deals.
Last year, MSC placed an order for ten 11,500-teu and ten 8,100-teu LNG dual-fuel containerships at China’s New Times Shipbuilding as well.