PIL begins small ship fleet renewal

SINGAPORE’s Pacific International Lines (PIL) has placed orders for seven methanol-ready geared container ships of 1,400 TEU as it adds replacement feeder and small-port vessels to its substantial fleet replacement/expansion program.

PIL currently operates more than 20 ships in the 628–1,080 TEU range on its vast intra-Asia and Pacific network. Some date back to the late 1990s. Many were regulars in Australasian waters, especially when PIL owned the then Pacific Direct Line.

The new orders have been placed with China’s Huanghai Shipbuilding, which PIL says was selected for its technical capabilities, experience and ability to meet the line’s requirements for quality, efficiency and delivery.

The new vessels’ dimensions and design have been specially customised, with a length of 172 metres and a width of 25 metres, to maximise vessel size for PIL’s target regional markets, while providing flexibility to connect smaller ports with key transhipment hubs across its network.

The methanol-ready vessels support PIL's decarbonisation journey, positioning it to adopt lower-emission fuels as the availability and infrastructure for such fuels develop, the line says.

Lars Kastrup, CEO of PIL, said "investing in these new feeder vessels will strengthen our capabilities and capacity across the intra-Asia and Pacific Islands network".

"These ships, equipped with energy-saving technologies and designed to be methanol-ready, will further optimise our operations while supporting our goal of net zero emissions by 2050," Mr Kastrup said.

"Together with modern technological features and digital capabilities to support more efficient vessel operations and performance monitoring, they will enable us to provide our customers with wider services and sustainable shipping solutions."

The vessels will incorporate energy-saving features including pre-swirl vanes and propeller boss cap fins to improve propulsion efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

They will also feature enhanced cargo safety systems, including fixed fire water monitors and cargo hold water spray systems to strengthen firefighting capabilities on board.

The vessels are scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2030.

According to Signal-Alphaliner, PIL's orderbook has thus increased to 36 ships and about 506,000 TEU in total.

This includes 11 LNG-powered 13,000+ TEU units and seven 9,000 TEU units, as well as conventionally powered units of 8,000 TEU and 9,000 TEU.