PIL places order for four LNG-fuelled container ships

Pacific International Lines (PIL) has placed an order at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in China for the construction of four 8,000 teu dual-fuel containerships.

The shipbuilder will deliver the vessels in 2025. No price has been revealed for this order. The vessels will initially be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), but will also be equipped with an ammonia intermediate ready fuel tank, which makes it possible to retrofit the vessels to run on ammonia when the technology is commercially available.

The newbuilding order follows PIL’s contract in March this year to build four ammonia-ready 14,000 teu vessels, which will become the largest boxships in the company’s fleet and the first to run on LNG.