Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Maritime has signed a newbuilding contract worth close to $1bn at China's Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore (CIMC Raffles).
The Yantai-based shipyard disclosed Zodiac ordered four firm LNG dual-fuel, 7,000-ceu pure car truck carriers (PCTC). The contract includes options for several more vessels.
The firm newbuildings are scheduled to be delivered from the end of 2023 into 2024.
CIMC Raffles did not disclose the number of option vessels involved, but shipbuilding sources said eight vessels could be potentially added to the order tally.
TradeWinds first reported on Zodiac's plan to order PCTCs in September. The ships then were reported to be costing the company just over $83m each.
The 199.9-metre-long post-panamax beam PCTC was designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI). The type will be equipped with two Type-C LNG tanks.
Zodiac's order is the second PCTC contract that CIMC Raffles has received this year. Wallenius Marine inked an order of up to six 6,500-ceu car ships in July.
Stockholm-based Wallenius booked two firm LNG-fuelled vessels with two pairs of options. The 220-metre-long vessels will be equipped with one Type-C LNG tank and will be constructed at CIMC Raffles’ Longkou yard in Shandong province.
The ship concept was developed by Danish naval architect Knud E Hansen, while CIMC Offshore Engineering Institute drew up the basic design.
Wallenius was reported to be paying between $76m and $77m apiece for the 6,500-teu newbuildings, and is slated to take delivery of the firm units in early 2024.
Car maker Volkswagen will be chartering these PCTCs for at least 10 years.
