Danish shipowner Celsius Tankers has upped its order for methanol-ready container feeder ships at Chinese shipbuilder Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu Ship Industry Co.
The company said it confirmed a pair of options for 3,000-teu eco boxship newbuildings at the yard for delivery during the first half of 2024.
The vessels are options negotiated when Celsius ordered its first two feeders of this size at the yard in February. These earlier vessels are scheduled for handover dates in the fourth quarter of 2023.
No price was given for the newbuildings.
Celsius said the ships have been ordered to support further the group’s fleet renewal process.
The shipowner said the vessels will have high reefer intake and a methanol ready class notation.
The design will be in full compliance with Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) phase III calculation and Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) until 2030.
Celsius said these additional two feeder ships bring its total container ship fleet to 13 vessels in the 1,700 teu to 5,000 teu sector.
The company’s existing vessels are built between 2003 and 2010.
There has been something of a rush to order container feeder ships with companies like Euroseas, Eastern Pacific Shipping and CMA CGM inking orders for tonnage.
This is Celsius’ second newbuilding announcement in the week.
On Wednesday the company confirmed it had added another 180,000-cbm LNG carrier newbuilding at Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in South Korea against charter business.
In 2021 the company placed orders for eight LNG carrier newbuildings at SHI. All these vessels were contracted against long-term business.
