Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s car carrier newbuildings keep getting bigger.
The Oslo-listed car carrier owner announced on Friday that it has declared options on two 11,700-ceu car carriers and plans to upgrade the capacity of two additional carriers already on order from 9,300 ceu to 11,700 ceu.
The moves bring its total newbuilding order to 14, eight of which will be among the largest car carriers ever built.
The company said: “Delivery is expected in [the second half of] 2028. As part of the agreement, Wallenius Wilhelmsen will continue to hold options for two more vessels declarable by [the second half of] 2025.”
Wallenius Wilhelmsen first announced it was upsizing four of its then-12 newbuildings under construction at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard — deemed its Shaper class — at its capital markets day in September.
There, the company said the larger vessels would reduce emissions by 37% and help the company deliver net-zero end-to-end service by 2027 using a mix of alternative fuels and biofuels.
The 9,300-ceu Shaper-class vessels were already projected to slash emissions by 27%.
The larger ships will be six metres longer, two metres wider and will feature two additional car decks.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen began its fleet refresh in August 2023, with an order for four 9,300-ceu Shaper-class vessels and an option for eight more.
In May, all eight options were exercised, likely putting the total price tag above $1bn.
The first of the ships will hit the water in 2026 and will be ammonia and methanol-ready from delivery.
