EPS contract swells LNG-fuelled orderbook with six more box ships

摘要

Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has confirmed an order valued at US$823M for six 14,812-TEU container ships with South Koreas Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).Each vessel will have LNG dual-fuel propulsion and reefer slots. These originally formed an order in September 2019 for six vessels of 12,000 TEU at South Koreas Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) which were annulled but only officially confirmed recently, according to BRL Weekly Newbuilding.Deliveries for the new box ships will stretch from August 2022 to early 2023. The container ships are valued at US$137M each and will incorporate dual-fuel propulsion using LNG.BRL says the loss of the order "was a blow to DSME" which recently confirmed it missed its own newbuilding target for 2020. These latest orders by EPS continue to build the LNG-fuelled global fleet - DNV GL says about 10% of the total global orderbook is composed of newbuilds that will be powered by alternative fuels, led primarily by LNG. There are currently 14 LNG dual-fuel container ships in operation and another 39 on order or under construction.