COSCO Shipping orders 12 methanol-fuelled 14,000TEU boxships

COSCO Shipping Lines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China's COSCO Shipping Holdings, has entered into an agreement with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry for the construction of a new series of 12 container vessels.

All 12 ships are scheduled to be delivered between May 2027 and March 2029 in fulfilment of a contract worth approximately US$2.154 billion. They will be operated primarily on COSCO Shipping's Latin America routes.

Each vessel will have an LOA of 335.9 metres, a beam of 51 metres, a capacity of 14,100 TEUs, a bow wind shield, an air lubrication system, a shore power charging system, an intelligent ship management system, and advanced systems that protect against cybersecurity threats. The ships will also be fitted with dual-fuel engines that can also operate on methanol.

The 12 ships were designed jointly by COSCO Shipping Lines, COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry, and the China Ship and Ocean Engineering Design and Research Institute.