Taiwanese container shipping firm Yang Ming Marine Transport has approved the order of seven 15,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) LNG dual-fuel container ships from South Korea's Hanwha Ocean, the firm announced on 17 July.
The new vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2028-29 and will replace the aging vessels in Yang Ming's fleet.
The adoption of dual-fuel solutions for the 15,000 TEU vessels, alongside the five LNG dual-fuel container ships scheduled for delivery from 2026, will advance the firm's strategic development towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while ensuring stable services on East-West shipping routes.
Fellow Taiwanese shipper Evergreen Marine had also ordered 11 LNG dual-fuel container ships in February from Hanwha Ocean and China's Guangzhou Shipyard International, a subsidiary of state-owned shipbuilder CSSC.
The LNG bunkering market has been growing actively across Asia on the back of global developments towards net-zero emissions. Consumption of alternative marine fuels at the port of Singapore rose in June, supported by steady growth in the bunkering of LNG and key bio-blends. Meanwhile, China's bonded LNG bunkering market has so far maintained double-digit growth, a further testament to the rapid growth of the LNG bunkering industry as LNG gains popularity as a shipping fuel.
