With up to eight more orders for multi-purpose heavy lift vessels, Huanghai Shipbuilding further consolidates its world leadership in this ship type.
Recently, Skarv Shipping, a joint venture between Grieg Edge and Peak Group AS, confirmed that it has placed an order for 4+2+2 7,000 dwt low-carbon multi-purpose vessels in Huanghai Shipbuilding. The first vessel will be delivered in the third quarter of 2025, though the company did not disclose the exact price.
According to reports, the series of ships is designed by LMG Marin, including engines, batteries, shore power systems reserved for ammonia or methanol fuel capacity, peak shaving devices with dynamic propeller drive systems, and high-voltage switchboards for future green power production, such as fuel cell technology and larger battery capacity.
Jan Øivind Svardal, CEO of Skarv, said: "These vessels are more environmentally friendly and have very low fuel consumption than those we are currently seeing in the European short-haul maritime market. While these ships are not the ultimate climate solution for the shipping industry as we imagined, they are a big step in the right direction. ”
In terms of cargo handling, the ships will have open tops, move cargo with higher vertical heights, wide deck beams to increase cargo capacity, and be equipped with heavy hatches and double decks, according to the company. The vessels also have cabins at the front to ensure visibility, increase deck space and protect cargo.
Jan-Petter Slethaug, Chairman of Skarv and CEO of Peak Group, said: "For our customers, this means significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions when transporting goods and exceptional efficiency in cargo handling and costs. ”
The high focus on deck space, combined with strength and good stability, makes these vessels ideal for transporting medium-sized modules and wind turbine components, thus providing great support to Europe's renewable energy industry. In addition, they are flexible and suitable for almost all types of short-distance maritime project cargo transportation. Skarv has not yet delivered these vessels to any customers, but will make them available on the market.
Nicolai Grieg, Managing Director of Grieg Edge, said: "There is considerable demand for industrial projects in Europe to reduce carbon emissions, and these ships will be ideal for many projects. Although these ships are not yet fully emission-free, the flexible design of the ships allows them to transition to low-emission fuels after delivery, as long as the market and infrastructure allow. ”
It is understood that the multi-purpose heavy lift ship is one of the representative ship types undertaken by Huanghai Shipbuilding in batches. According to Clarkson, Yellow Sea Shipbuilding has delivered 103 multi-purpose vessels, ranking first in the world. In July this year, Huanghai Shipbuilding also signed a contract with German shipowner Nordic Hamburg for the construction of four 12,500 dwt multi-purpose heavy lift vessels, which are scheduled to be delivered in 2025 and 2026. German shipowner Briese Schiffahrt has also signed a contract with Huanghai Shipbuilding for the construction of two 12,500 dwt multi-purpose heavy lift vessels, which are scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2025.
According to Clarkson's data, up to now, Huanghai Shipbuilding has received a total of 16 new ship orders in 2023, including 6 multi-purpose heavy lift vessels, 4 general cargo ships, 2 container ships, 2 bulk carriers, 1 refrigerated vessel and 1 refrigerated fishing vessel. At present, Huanghai Shipbuilding has a total of 46 orders of 876,200 dwt, involving feeder container ships, multi-purpose heavy lift ships, bulk carriers, general cargo ships, etc., and the delivery arrangement will continue until 2026.