SAIC Anji Logistics, the shipping arm of Chinese automaker SAIC Motor, is said to have returned to Jiangnan Shipyard for pure car/truck carrier (PCTC) newbuildings.
Shipping sources said SAIC Anji has inked three large LNG-fuelled 7,800-ceu car carriers at the state-owned shipyard, bringing its tally of PCTCs at Jiangnan to five. The earlier two vessels were ordered last year.
Sources said the Chinese company floated the tender for the trio a few months ago but Jiangnan was the only yard to put in an offer.
“Most of the shipyards that are able to build car carriers are not able to offer the delivery dates that SAIC Anji is seeking and did not participate in the tender,” said a shipping source.
The car-carrier newbuilding market has seen a surge in orders for dual-fuel vessels as new efficiency regulations loom.
London broker Clarksons reported that 52 ships of 380,000 ceu have been ordered since the start of 2021, up from just 20 ships across the period between 2016 and 2020.
Trym Sjolie, chief operating officer of SFL Corp, said at least a couple of hundred ships would have to be built in the next five, six or seven years, to replace the current fleet. The current fleet totals about 700 vessels.
TradeWinds has learned that SAIC Anji’s latest three newbuildings are slightly larger than its earlier two vessels which are of 7,600 ceu.
Officials at Jiangnan declined to comment on the shipyard’s newbuilding activities citing contract confidentiality. SAIC Anji was not available for comment.
The price of SAIC Anji’s latest PCTCs was not disclosed. But the company is said to have paid about $85m each for the vessels.
Jiangnan is slated to deliver the five newbuildings between January 2024 and mid-2025.
Shanghai-headquartered SAIC Anji was previously known as Anji Automotive Logistics. The company controls 18 car carriers of between 246 ceu and 4,300 ceu.
SAIC Anji is joining forces with Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers in car-carrier transportation. A unit of China Cosco Shipping, Cosco Specialized said the joint venture is targeting both domestic and overseas business. SAIC Anji will be the major shareholder of the joint company, with a 65% stake.
Cosco Specialized will also be ordering a series of PCTC newbuildings. The company was reported to have already selected three domestic shipyards to build the first wave of 15 LNG dual-fuel ships. However, the signing of the official contract has yet to take place.
