Pacific International Lines (PIL) has awarded a contract to Jiangnan Shipyard for the construction of four 14,000 TEU container ships.
The New Panamax vessels will be equipped with dual-fuel engines and auxiliaries, which can run on both liquefied natural gas (LNG) or low sulphur fuel oil.
They will also dispose of an ammonia intermediate ready fuel tank, making it possible to retrofit the vessels to run on ammonia when the technology is commercially available.
The four boxships are projected to be delivered from the second half of 2024 until the first half of 2025, according to a PIL's statement. When delivered, the vessels will become the largest and the first vessels in PIL’s fleet to run on LNG.
"The LNG option represents an important step in PIL’s decarbonisation journey, and as BioLNG and e-Methane, as well as other technology solutions mature, we aspire to continue to be at the forefront of these developments to achieve the zero-emission target," stated Lars Kastrup, co-president and executive director of PIL.
