Wallenius Wilhelmsen Adds Four Firm LNG Dual-Fuel 9,900 CEU Car Carriers at Jinling With Options for Eight More in a USD 1.5 Billion Program

Wallenius Wilhelmsen has signed agreements for four new dual-fuel pure car and truck carriers and secured options for up to eight more at Jinling Shipyard (Jiangsu), part of China Merchants Industry Group, the Oslo-listed operator announced on October 28. The four firm vessels are 9,900 CEU Shaper Class designs with LNG dual-fuel engines, developed with Deltamarin and featuring hoistable decks, reinforced ramps and adaptable cargo spaces, with deliveries scheduled from mid-2030 and option vessels slated for 2031 and 2032.

Assuming all eight options are exercised, total capital expenditure is expected to reach around USD 1.5 billion, which Chinese maritime outlets calculate at roughly USD 125 million per 9,900 CEU ship. The order follows the company's roughly USD 300 million private placement completed earlier in October, which together with debt financing underpins the newbuild program, and it extends the fleet renewal drive launched in 2023, described as the largest in the company's history, to 26 vessels including options.

Jinling is now the sole yard for the entire program: the partnership began in October 2023 with a 4+4+4 order for 9,300 CEU methanol dual-fuel PCTCs, six of which were later enlarged to 11,700 CEU and further upgraded to 12,100 CEU, with the first 9,300 CEU unit, Arctic Tern, delivered in July. Chinese state media framed the deal as a further consolidation of Chinese yards' grip on the high-value PCTC segment, where LNG and methanol dual-fuel capability has become the default specification for large car carriers.

The commitment signals continued confidence in deep-sea RoRo fundamentals despite the wider freight cycle, with COO Shipping Services Xavier Leroi citing capacity, flexibility and efficiency needs 'well into the next decades' and deliveries from 2030 deliberately positioned beyond the current orderbook wave. For the newbuilding market it adds another string of high-specification dual-fuel tonnage to a 2026 orderbook that has already set records across tanker and bulker segments.