Steel cut for PIL’s first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel boxship in China

China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has kicked off construction of 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships ordered by Singapore-based shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL).

The beginning of the construction of the first vessel from this series was marked with a steel-cutting ceremony at Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai on May 19.

To remind, PIL placed a shipbuilding order at the Chinese yard for five 13,000 TEU containerships to be powered by LNG dual-fuel engines in August 2024 as part of its fleet renewal initiative.

The vessels are expected to be delivered progressively from the end of 2026.

The newbuilds will incorporate the latest technological and energy-saving features, in addition to dual-fuel engines and auxiliaries to run on both LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil.

The vessels will also harness artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things to automate tasks, contributing towards more efficient operations and a safer working environment, PIL said.

The Singaporean shipowner also opened its new site office located inside Hudong-Zhonghua’s new corporate headquarters to “foster an even closer collaboration with Hudong Zhonghua” in designing and building its new vessels with a focus on efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

PIL’s Chief Marine Officer, Abhishek Chawla, commented on the occasion: “At PIL, we have partnered with Hudong Zhonghua to build 10 state-of-the-art container vessels as part of our fleet renewal programme to expand and modernise our fleet. Hudong Zhonghua’s new office is a remarkable state-of-the-art facility with additional major production areas and the most advanced intelligent systems in China. For customers like PIL, the new facilities are a significant advantage for the execution of our vessels.”

PIL also has five LNG dual-fuel 9,000 TEU containerships on order at Hudong-Zhonghua, with deliveries scheduled for 2027 and 2028.

In other recent news, the shipping company hosted the naming ceremony for its first 8,200 TEU LNG dual-fuel containership built at the Yangzijiang Shipbuilding yard in China as the first of four O Class vessels.