Dutch shortsea specialist A2B-online has signed a newbuilding order for two feeder boxships.
It has contracted to build the 650-teu vessels at Sedef Shipyard in Turkey.
The ships, scheduled for delivery by the end of 2024, will operate on services between Moerdijk in the Netherlands and Immingham in eastern England.
No price has been given for the vessels, which will be equipped with a multi-fuel methanol propulsion system, shore power and battery capacity to operate emission-free during port and inland water operations.
They have been developed with Hamburg design and engineering company Technolog Services to optimise efficiency and trim CO2 emissions by up to 95%, the company said.
A2B-online is a provider of flexible trailer, container and shipping services from the European continent to the UK.
It owns seven 508-teu vessels built between 1995 and 1998. This first newbuilding order has been placed with an eye to fleet renewal.
Larger cargo holds will provide double the capacity of the older vessels without needing to increase the overall length of the vessel significantly, the company said.
“With our new vessels we will contribute to a more sustainable future and demonstrate that it is possible to combine freight transport and environmentally conscious operations,” said chief executive Dinant de Jong.
A2B-online, which was set up in 2013 and is part of a wider group with activities in road haulage and logistics, has enjoyed sustained development.
