Oslo-listed Wallenius Wilhelmsen has secured a potential coup by agreeing to options for more methanol dual-fuel car carriers in China.
The giant shipowner said it had signed shipbuilding contracts for four 9,300-ceu vessels at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard on Monday.
These were options declared in February, bringing the number of vessels on order there to eight.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen also held four additional options, but by signing the latest contracts, it has added four more.
These have earlier delivery slots compared to the options already held, providing further flexibility in delivery timing, the company added.
The shipowner has not revealed these dates, but the firm ships are due from mid-2026 through to November 2027.
The group now has a potential series of 16 vessels pending at China Merchants Jinling.
But the owner struck a cautious note, saying: “The company has not made any decision regarding whether to declare any additional optional vessels, and the four new options do not necessarily represent an increased ambition for the current newbuilding programme.”
The Shaper Class pure car/truck carriers will also be ammonia-ready.
No price has been revealed for the car carriers. Fearnley Securities estimated a bill of between $120m and $130m each.
Zero-emission voyages
Norwegian rival Hoegh Autoliners declared four options for its 9,100-ceu Aurora-class multi-fuel ships at China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) last summer, building out the series to 12 vessels.
These are believed to be costing close to $100m each.
The new Wallenius Wilhelmsen order is part of its aim to offer zero-emission voyages for customers by 2027.
The PCTCs will be built to a Deltamarin design.
