A Swedish cargo shipping operator welcomes two hybrid newbuilds to its fleet as a Japanese yard launches an LNG-fuelled car carrier. Orders have meanwhile been placed for multi-purpose cargo vessels to be built in India and the first methanol-fuelled Ro-Ros for operation in Japan.
Indian state-owned shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) has entered into an agreement with German company Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler und Reederei for the construction and delivery of four multi-purpose vessels of 7,500 DWT each. The contract also includes options for up to four additional vessels in the same series.
Each ship will measure 120 by 17 metres and will have a hold able to accommodate bulk, general, and project cargo. Containers will be carried on the hatch covers. The vessels are also specifically designed to transport multiple wind turbine blades.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has secured contracts from Japanese companies Toyofuji Shipping and Fukuju Shipping for the construction of Japan's first methanol-fuelled Ro-Ro cargo vessels. The two ships will be built at the Enoura Plant of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' (MHI) Shimonoseki Shipyard and Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, with scheduled completion and delivery by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Each vessel will have an LOA of 169.9 metres, a beam of 30.2 metres, a gross tonnage of 15,750, and capacity for 2,300 vehicles. A windscreen at the bow and a vertical stem will be used to reduce propulsion resistance, while fuel efficiency is improved by employing MHI's proprietary energy-saving system technology combining high-efficiency propellers and high-performance rudders with reduced resistance.
Each ship will be powered by a dual-fuel engine that can use both methanol and heavy fuel oil. MHI said the use of methanol will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 10 per cent compared to ships with the same hull and powered by conventional fuel oil.
ESL Shipping subsidiary AtoB@C Shipping took delivery of a new cargo vessel on Thursday, June 13. Ecomar is the third unit in a 12-strong series of 5,350DWT plug-in hybrid vessels.
Toyofuji Shipping formally named its newest vehicle carrier during a christening and launching ceremony held at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' (MHI) Shimonoseki Shipyard on Friday, June 7. Once completed, Trans Harmony Green will have an LOA of approximately 195 metres, a beam of approximately 30.6 metres, a gross tonnage of 49,500, and capacity for 3,000 cars.
Swedish transport company AtoB@C Shipping recently held a formal naming ceremony for its newest hybrid electric cargo vessel. Electramar is the first in a series of 12 plug-in hybrid vessels ordered by AtoB@C. Parent company ESL Shipping said the series was developed to be capable of generating up to 50 per cent fewer CO2 emissions compared to the present generation of vessels, thanks to its shore power connectivity, large battery installation, and improved cargo intake.
