Eyal Ofer-controlled Zodiac Maritime has pencilled in orders with two Chinese shipyards for up to 14 LNG dual-fuel post-panamax-sized pure car/truck carriers (PCTCs) worth more than $1.1bn.

TradeWinds has learned the company has signed a letter of intent (LOI) for a quartet of 7,000-ceu firm vessels at CIMC Raffles priced at just over $83m each.

These first vessels are scheduled for delivery from 2023.

Zodiac has also secured a further eight optional slots for sisterships that could boost its PCTC newbuilding tally to 12 ships.

Zodiac is also believed to have signed a second LOI with another Chinese shipyard — thought to be Xiamen Shipbuilding — for a further two PCTC newbuildings of a similar size and design.

The vessels being lined up by the company are among the largest PCTCs and will be constructed to the latest designs from the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute.

They are not thought to have charter contracts yet.

Zodiac currently operates a fleet of 13 PCTCs built between 1994 and 2018.

Demand for large PCTCs that can offer lower emissions appears to be heating up with more orders in the works.

Norwegian owner Peter Gram is also rumoured to be lining up a series of PCTC newbuildings at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding in China and other names are being whispered in the market.

Brokers said vessel operators are coming under pressure from shippers and manufacturers that are keen to demonstrate emissions reductions in their own operations and to downstream customers.

Monaco-based shipping magnate Eyal Ofer is chairman of Ofer Global, which owns Zodiac Maritime. Photo: Zodiac Maritime

In addition, there is a move towards operators locking in dedicated capacity so they can control as many elements of the supply chain after the dislocation seen in the container trades over the past year.

Chinese yard haul

Affinity (Shipping) detailed that between 20 and 30 PCTC newbuildings have been contracted in the past few weeks, almost all of which have been dual-fuel vessels that will run on LNG and built at Chinese shipyards.

The broker named at least five yards in China that are “actively involved” in negotiations.

Those who have ordered tonnage include Wallenius Marine, which also turned to CIMC Raffles for up to six 6,500-ceu dual-fuel vessels in a deal backed by car giant Volkswagen.

Idan Ofer’s Eastern Pacific Shipping has also extended its LNG-fuelled PCTC orders to 12 vessels with four firm 7,000-ceu PCTCs contracted at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (CMJL) Weihai.

Eastern Pacific has previously contracted 7,000-ceu vessels. In June, the company booked four firm PCTCs at CMJL Nanjing or Jinling Shipyard.

Both contracts include options for two additional vessels.

John Fredriksen-led leasing company SFL Corp doubled up on an order for two dual-fuelled, 7,000-ceu PCTCs. The first two vessels have been chartered to Volkswagen.

But Mitsui OSK Lines and NYK Line bucked the trend, instead looking to Japanese shipbuilders for slots.

MOL turned to Shin Kurushima Dockyard and Nihon Shipyard — a joint venture between Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United — to build four 7,000-ceu LNG-fuelled car carriers, while NYK Line has lined up a 12-ship order for similar-size vessels at the same yard grouping.

Wallenius Marine ordered up to six PCTC newbuildings at CIMC Raffles. Wallenius Marine's LNG-fuelled 6,500-ceu PCTCs at CIMC Raffles will be equipped with one Type-C LNG tank. Photo: CIMC Raffles