Wan Hai Lines has put pen to paper on an order for eight methanol-powered neo-panamax vessels costing between $1.5bn and $1.6bn.

The Taiwanese operator has split the 16,000-teu vessel order with South Korean shipbuilders HD Hyundai Samho and Samsung Heavy Industries.

The two yards will build four neo-panamaxes, with costs ranging from $187m to $204m each, according to a statement issued to the Taipei Exchange.

The vessels will be the largest ships operated by Wan Hai, which has traditionally focused on the intra-Asian liner trades.

Wan Hai did not disclose the reasons behind the order or the delivery schedule.

The order demonstrates a further commitment to methanol by the liner operator when many others are opting for LNG.

Methanol adopter

In August, TradeWinds reported that Wan Hai had been in discussion with South Korean yards for the series of neo-panamax newbuildings.

However, at that time, the company had yet to finalise its fuel choice. It was anticipated that the cost of new LNG dual-fuelled boxships would exceed $220m, while a methanol dual-fuelled vessel would start at a minimum of $200m.

Since then, the company has gone in hard on the methanol trail.

In September, the company ordered four 8,700-teu newbuildings at HD Samho costing nearly $128m apiece.

A month earlier, Wan Hai disclosed it would be ordering 20 midsize container ships at two shipyards — up to 16 at Taiwan’s CSBC and four firm ships at HD Samho.

The container ships at HD Samho have a capacity of 8,700 teu, while the series at domestic shipbuilder CSBC are of 8,000 teu.

The latest order for larger vessels comes after Wan Hai, which registered a huge improvement in profit for the first half of this year, said in August that it would spend $2bn on what would be its first-ever order for dual-fuel container ships.

Its decision to choose methanol came as a surprise as other major shipowners, most notably pioneer AP Moller-Maersk, are turning to LNG and other options.

TradeWinds has learned that HD Samho is slated to deliver the quartet in 2026 and CSBC is scheduled to deliver the firm 12 ships between 2026 and 2027.

Green fuels

Wan Hai is testing out a number of green fuels besides methanol.

Earlier in October, it announced a project to use biofuel to power its fleet to reduce its carbon footprint.

The liner company has disclosed that the 4,333-teu Wan Hai 510 (built 2008) will be the first vessel to run on biofuel.

Other liner companies using biofuel to power their vessels include Yang Ming Marine Transport, Orient Oversea Container Line, Maersk, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company and Swire Shipping.

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