PIL accelerates fleet renewal with order for five more LNG dual-fuel vessels

Pacific International Lines (PIL) is accelerating the renewal of its fleet with an order for another five 9,000 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel container vessels. The vessels will be built by one of China’s leading shipbuilders, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co.,LTD (Hudong-Zhonghua), with delivery expected in 2027 and 2028.

The new 9,000-TEU vessels are designed with highly-optimised cargo stowage features which will significantly enhance PIL’s service capabilities. They will also be built to achieve a high level of environmental sustainability. In addition to being LNG powered, the vessels have the capability to transition to running on bio-methane, one of the lowest emission fuels available to the shipping industry today.

“With 18 newbuild vessels ordered in the last couple of years, PIL is demonstrating our commitment to renew, expand and modernise our fleet,” said Mr Lars Kastrup, CEO of PIL. “Our aim is to replace up to half our fleet in the next decade with modern new ships and charters. These ships are a significant step towards our green shipping goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, while increasing operational and cost efficiencies, improving services to our customers as well as enhancing the welfare of our crew.”

Earlier this year in August, PIL had also ordered five LNG dual-fuel container vessels with 13,000 TEU capacity from Hudong-Zhonghua. Similar to the earlier orders, these new vessels will also be equipped with the latest in digital technologies. These include Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time monitoring and automation of various tasks. The enhanced digital capabilities will enable better route planning and cargo management, ensuring timely and reliable service to customers.

The ships will fully comply with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for newbuilds and the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII). They will feature energy-saving features such as a streamlined hull-form, variable-frequency drive (VFD) motors, shaft generators, lower-energy LED lightings as well as superior hull coatings.

With this latest order, PIL will have ordered a total of 18 newbuild vessels since 2022. These include four 14,000 TEU, four 8,000 TEU, five 13,000 TEU, and five 9,000 TEU vessels. Two of the 14,000 TEU vessels, Kota Eagle and Kota Emerald, were named in a ceremony on 15 October 2024. PIL had taken delivery of Kota Eagle which had embarked on its maiden voyage on the West Coast Central and South America Service 2 in late October 2024.