Norway’s Wallenius Wilhelmsen has declared options to build four additional methanol-fuelled and ammonia-ready car carriers.
This latest deal for the so-called Shaper Class vessels, developed in collaboration with ship designer Deltamarin, brings the total number of car carriers currently on order with Jinling Shipyard to eight. Wallenius Wilhelmsen also retains options for a further four vessels.
The company agreed to build a dozen of these vessels with the Chinese shipyard back in August last year. The first four were ordered last October.
The Oslo-listed operator of around 125 ships said that the first of these ordered vessels should be delivered in the second half of 2026. The four additional vessels under the declared options will be delivered between May and November 2027.
The 9,300 ceu vessels will be able to run on methanol while being ready for conversion to ammonia once the fuel is available “in a safe and secure way”.