OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line) has announced that it has placed an order for 12 new 13,600 TEU boxships.
The vessels will be built in China by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co. and fitted with dual-fuel propulsion systems capable of running on both LNG and conventional fuel.
Once delivered, they will become the first LNG-powered vessels in the OOCL fleet.
This order confirms OOCL’s commitment to upgrading its fleet and increasing capacity on key routes, despite the current geopolitical turmoil.
According to Alphaliner, COSCO (which includes OOCL) has an orderbook representing 46.9% of its current fleet.
Tao Weidong, CEO of the shipping company said that the new order “demonstrates OOCL’s commitment to supporting the green transition and sustainable development of the shipping industry, while also ensuring flexibility in vessel types and diversification of the fleet.”
“The continuous increase in capacity,” he added, “will provide support for OOCL to increase capacity deployment in emerging markets, regional markets and third‑country markets, further optimize its global capacity allocation and promote balanced global development, thereby meeting customers’ diverse and long‑term transportation needs more effectively.”
