Wallenius Wilhelmsen orders four dual-fuel vehicle carriers

Wallenius Wilhelmsen has signed contracts for four new dual-fuel vehicle carriers at Jinling Shipyard in China, extending its fleet renewal programme with vessels scheduled for delivery from mid-2030. The Norwegian shipping and logistics group has also secured options for eight additional ships, allowing it to reserve further construction capacity without immediately committing to every vessel.

Each contracted ship will accommodate 9,900 car equivalent units and use engines capable of operating on liquefied natural gas or conventional marine fuel. The options provide for four additional deliveries in 2031 and another four in 2032. Wallenius Wilhelmsen estimates that capital expenditure could reach approximately US$1.5 billion if all eight options are exercised, with the latest agreements extending its broader renewal programme to 26 vessels, including optional orders.

The contracts follow a private placement undertaken earlier in October and continue a newbuilding programme established in 2023. Earlier Shaper Class vessels have begun entering service, while the newly ordered ships will provide additional capacity later in the decade. The distinction between committed vessels and options is important to the investment timetable because construction expenditure and future fleet capacity depend on which optional contracts are subsequently exercised.

Jinling Shipyard in Jiangsu will build the new ships to a design adapted for the cargo carried across Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s international network. Pure car and truck carriers use roll-on/roll-off loading arrangements, allowing suitable vehicles and wheeled equipment to enter through ramps rather than being lifted into conventional container holds. Their internal layouts must accommodate cargo with different heights, weights and handling requirements.

The Shaper Class design combines hoistable decks, strong loading ramps and adaptable cargo spaces. Adjustable decks allow the vertical clearance between storage levels to be changed according to the vehicles being carried, while the ramp arrangements support movement of heavier rolling cargo. The available deck clearances and ramp capacity determine how passenger cars, commercial vehicles and taller agricultural or construction machinery can be carried together.

A shipment of agricultural or construction equipment can occupy considerably more deck area than the same number of passenger cars. Taller machines may require decks to be raised, reducing the space available on adjacent levels, while heavier equipment places different demands on deck strength and loading arrangements. The cargo mix therefore affects the number of physical vehicles that can be carried on an individual voyage.

The nominal 9,900-CEU capacity provides a standardised measure for comparing vehicle carriers, with one car equivalent unit representing a defined reference vehicle space. Actual loading capacity varies according to the dimensions and weight of the cargo. A vessel may carry fewer than 9,900 individual vehicles when its load includes substantial quantities of trucks, construction machinery or other oversized rolling equipment.

These variations must be reflected in loading plans before cargo reaches the port. The arrangement of vehicles influences available deck space, movement through the internal ramps and the distribution of weight across the ship. Equipment requiring greater vertical clearance or specialised securing can also affect the sequence in which cargo is loaded and discharged at successive ports.

Greater flexibility within the vessel can therefore help the operator accommodate changes in the composition of cargo booked across different services. The commercial benefit will depend on sufficient demand for the available capacity and the ability of ports to handle the ships efficiently. Vessel dimensions, berth availability, loading infrastructure and voyage schedules remain constraints even when the internal cargo spaces can be adapted.

The four contracted vessels will also introduce LNG dual-fuel propulsion into this additional part of the renewal programme. LNG must be stored and handled at very low temperatures, requiring dedicated fuel tanks, supply equipment and safety arrangements. Dual-fuel engines provide the ability to operate with different fuels according to the ship’s configuration and the supplies available during its voyages.

Actual environmental performance will depend on fuel consumption, engine characteristics and the emissions associated with producing and delivering the fuel. LNG combustion can reduce certain exhaust pollutants compared with conventional marine fuels, but methane emissions and the wider fuel supply chain must be considered when evaluating greenhouse gas performance. The newly contracted vessels should consequently be distinguished from earlier Shaper Class ships ordered with methanol-capable propulsion arrangements.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s investment programme includes ships with different fuel capabilities because vessels ordered today will operate under commercial and regulatory conditions extending well beyond their delivery dates. Future fuel availability, infrastructure at ports and customer demand for lower-emission transport will influence how the fleet is deployed. The company has not published a quantified reduction in emissions attributable specifically to the four new LNG-powered vessels.

Fleet renewal also has to accommodate the long service lives and construction periods associated with specialised deep-sea carriers. The new orders will begin arriving from 2030, while optional deliveries extend into 2032. Capacity added during those years must be matched against the vessels remaining in service, ships being retired and expected demand across the routes operated by the group.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen combines ocean transportation with inland vehicle distribution, processing and associated logistics activities. Its customers include manufacturers moving passenger cars, trucks and heavy equipment between production regions and international markets. Cargo discharged from a vessel may subsequently pass through vehicle processing facilities or onward road and rail services, making the organisation of maritime capacity one element of the wider distribution operation.

The new vessels are intended to preserve flexibility across those movements as customer requirements change. A ship able to accommodate different proportions of cars and heavy rolling equipment can be allocated according to demand on a particular route, although utilisation will continue to depend on the cargo booked and the frequency of available services.

Xavier Leroi, Chief Operating Officer Shipping Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, has identified long-term cargo demand and fleet flexibility as priorities for the investment. The company is committing shipyard capacity several years ahead of delivery while retaining separate decisions over the additional eight vessels.

Four ships are now under firm contract, with the first deliveries expected from mid-2030. The remaining options cover four delivery positions in 2031 and four in 2032. Whether those positions become firm orders will determine the eventual scale of the latest investment and the number of vessels added to the wider fleet renewal programme.