[Offshore Energy/June 1, 2023] Taiwanese shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transportation Corporation has signed a contract with South Korea’s shipbuilding major HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., for the en bloc construction of five 15,500 TEU LNG dual fuel container vessels.

These new vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2026.

The contract signing comes on the back of the recent bidding process for the ships which was launched back in August 2022.

The newbuilds will be compliant with Tier III NOx regulations and meet the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) Phase 3 requirements. Phase 3 calls for all vessels to achieve at least a 30% reduction, with some ship types targeting 50%.

The dual-fuel ships will run on LNG, very low sulpfur fuel oil (VLSFO) and marine gas oil (MGO), according to the tender specifications released a year ago. Yang Ming wants the vessels to have an endurance of about 23,500 nautical miles in gas mode and approximately 12,400 nautical miles in fuel mode.

The five 15,500 TEU vessels will be equipped with high-pressure LNG dual fuel main engine and ballast water treatment system to meet the latest environmental regulations. In addition, they will feature an advanced integrated system for navigational information and operation monitoring, as well as broadband maritime satellite system, Yang Ming sai, adding that these technologies are integral for collecting navigational big data and enhancing the safety of the vessels.