Another LNG dual-fuel unit joins the ranks as MSC’s green fleet grows

Switzerland-based shipping colossal Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) recently welcomed its thirteenth liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered dual-fuel container vessel from China.

According to the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), the 16,000 TEU containership MSC Josefina, constructed by CSSC’s subsidiary Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), was christened and delivered “ahead of schedule.”

The Liberia-flagged newbuilding can carry around 16,196 standard containers, including 1,800 refrigerated containers. It has an overall length of 366 meters and a beam of 51 meters, with a deadweight capacity of 168,000 tonnes.

As informed, MSC Josefina was designed based on a “safety, economy and environmental protection” concept, having been outfitted with energy efficiency-oriented solutions that would enable the newbuild’s owner to achieve ‘optimal’ energy saving levels as well as operational performance during vessel management.

The Suezmax newbuilding’s delivery comes on the heels of a string of vessel handovers that Mediterranean Shipping Company marked in the past couple of months.

In the last stretch of April this year, for instance, MSC added three more dual-fuel container vessels that run on liquefied natural gas to its roster: the 260-meter-long MSC Namibia and Cameroon and the 335-meter-long MSC Flora. The trio was constructed by Chinese shipbuilder New Times Shipbuilding (NTS).

In October 2024, the company passed another milestone on its agenda to build an eco-friendly fleet when it took delivery of the DSIC-built Maria Cristina, which was equipped with a 13,000 cbm type B LNG fuel tank, described as the ‘largest of its type’ in the world.

Despite an ongoing tug-of-war between the United States and China, with tariffs envisioned to be charged for each Chinese-built (or -owned) vessel calling at American ports, the East Asian nation’s shipbuilding industry has held onto its dominant position.

Despite the uncertainty, the Swiss maritime transportation major has not been deterred from commissioning Chinese yards for the construction of its units. In late February this year, for example, MSC booked 4+2+2 eco-friendly LNG dual-fuel units at Zhoushan Changhong International Shipbuilding.