[LNG Prime/July 4, 2024] China’s Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) has delivered one LNG-powered pure car and truck carrier to South Korean owner H-Line Shipping and charterer Hyundai Glovis.

According to a statement by GSI, the shipbuilder has handed over the 7,000-ceu, Glovis Sunshine, on July 3, two months ahead of the contract date. The vessel is 200 meters long and 38 meters wide. It and has a design draft of 8.6 meters, a design speed of 19 knots, and a total of 12 vehicle decks.

GSI did not provide further information regarding the vessel. According to VesselsValue data, H-Line ordered this LNG-powered PCTC and one more vessel at GSI in 2021 for about $84 million per ship. GSI delivered H Line’s first LNG-powered PCTC, Glovis Solar, in April this year and this vessel serves a charter deal with Hyundai Glovis.

After the first order, H-Line placed an order at GSI in 2022 for two more LNG-powered PCTCs with a capacity of 7,000 ceu and these vessels are expected to be delivered in 2025.

In January last year, H-Line placed an order with GSI for two LNG dual-fuel PCTS with a capacity of 8,600 units. GSI said at the time that it has three 8,600-ceu vessels on order from H-Line and all of the ships will go on charter to Hyundai Glovis.

In May, GSI also secured a new order from Hyundai Glovis to build six more LNG dual-fuel PCTCs with a capacity of 10,800 ceu. Hyundai Glovis, the operator of a large PCTC fleet and the shipping unit of Hyundai Motor Group, said in April it will add six LNG dual-fuel vessels to its fleet, but it did not reveal the name of the yard which will build the vessels. The firm said the investment is worth $750 million and it expects to take delivery of the six ships by the end of 2028.

In December last year, South Korea’s HMM and Hyundai Glovis joined forces to order six LNG-powered PCTCs at GSI, while Seaspan and Hyundai Glovis ordered six LNG-powered PCTCs at CSSC’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS).

Moreover, Hyundai Glovis said in February this year that it has signed a deal with state-owned Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC) related to the construction of four LNG-powered PCTCs with a capacity of 10,800 ceu as part of its plans to have 28 LNG-powered PCTCs in its fleet.  SWS and GSI will reportedly build two of these vessels, each.