Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. announced a newbuilding order of seven methanol-compatible 24,000TEU container vessels with expected delivery starting from the third quarter of 2026. The green fuel technologies to be applied on these new vessels, most notably for the methanol dual fuel engines, constitute a significant milestone in OOCL’s decarbonization journey.
Under the terms of a contract, the vessels will be built by Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. The cost of each vessel will be US$239.85 million, being a total investment by OOCL of US$1,678.95 million.
Mr. Kenny Ye, Chief Operating Officer at OOCL, said: “We believe that we can be green and competitive at the same time, without sacrificing one over the other. These vessels will help OOCL grow its fleet in a healthy and balanced manner, allowing us to enhance our network design and strengthen our long-haul routes, in line with our long-term development plan. More importantly, I believe that the ordering of these methanol-compatible vessels represents a hugely important step on our decarbonization journey towards a greener future.”
Headquartered in Hong Kong, China, OOCL is one of the world’s largest integrated international container transportation and logistics companies, with over 125 offices in more than 100 major cities. Linking Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa and Oceania, the company offers transportation services to all the major trading economies of the world. OOCL is also an industry leader in the use of the latest technologies to enhance global supply chains.