PIL adds second 8,200 TEU containership to LNG dual-fuel fleet

Singapore-based shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL) is advancing its fleet renewal program with the addition of another 8,200 TEU LNG dual-fuel containership.

The newbuild was given the name Kota Ocean during a ceremony held on June 6 at the PSA Terminal in Singapore.

Kota Ocean is the sixth LNG dual-fuel vessel in PIL’s fleet and also the second in a series of four 8,200 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships called O Class.

The vessel is set to operate on PIL’s South West Africa service (SWS), connecting the Far East, from China to Singapore to Ghana, Togo, Nigeria and Ivory Coast, strengthening trade links between Asia and Africa and supporting economic development in these regions.

Kota Ocean joins sister vessel, Kota Oasis, which was delivered in April 2025, and four 14,000 TEU LNG vessels in operation. PIL has another 12 vessels on order, including two 8,200, five 13,000, and five 9,000 TEU vessels to be delivered over the next few years.

The newbuilds will be capable of using greener bio-methane fuels and equipped with Win-GD’s XDF engines with iCER (Intelligent Control by Exhaust Recycling), which is expected to significantly reduce methane emissions.

The O Class vessels are also equipped with ammonia intermediate-ready fuel tanks.

In addition, PIL’s newbuilds feature a full-spade type rudder with twisted leading edge, rudder bulb, pre-swirl stator as well as an optimised hydrodynamic hull form with anti-fouling coatings to improve fuel efficiency.

They also incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) to increase the automation of tasks as well as operational efficiency and safety, and enable better monitoring and planning of the vessels’ operations and routes through PIL’s Centre for Maritime Efficiency.