Pacific International Lines (PIL) is accelerating the renewal of its fleet with an order for five 9,000 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel container vessels.
The vessels will be built by one of China’s leading shipbuilders, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co.,LTD (Hudong-Zhonghua), with delivery expected in 2027 and 2028. The new 9,000-TEU vessels are designed with highly-optimised cargo stowage features which are aimed at enhancing PIL’s service capabilities.
According to the company, in addition to being LNG powered, the vessels have the capability to transition to running on bio-methane, one of the lowest emission fuels available to the shipping industry today.
Our aim is to replace up to half our fleet in the next decade with modern new ships and charters. These ships are a significant step towards our green shipping goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, while increasing operational and cost efficiencies, improving services to our customers as well as enhancing the welfare of our crew.
… said Lars Kastrup, CEO of PIL.
Earlier this year in August, PIL had also ordered five LNG dual-fuel container vessels with 13,000 TEU capacity from Hudong-Zhonghua. Similar to the earlier orders, these new vessels will also be equipped with the latest in digital technologies. These include Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time monitoring and automation of various tasks.
With this latest order, PIL will have ordered a total of 18 newbuild vessels since 2022. These include four 14,000 TEU, four 8,000 TEU, five 13,000 TEU, and five 9,000 TEU vessels.
