Unifeeder Group has signed a long-term time-charter agreement for two new methanol-capable container feeder vessels and has an option for additional two similar vessels, according to the company's release.
German-based ship owning group Elbdeich Reederei will build and manage the 1250 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) vessels which will be delivered in 2026.
Unifeeder Group plans to deploy the new vessels on its European network, where the new vessels will give a significant contribution to lower the emissions of the network.
Alongside parent company, DP World, Unifeeder is working with partners across the industry to find solutions to the challenge of renewable-methanol supply, which needs off-take commitments to build production at the scale that the industry needs to replace conventional fossil fuels.
In parallel to the delivery of the methanol capable vessels, Unifeeder will continue to improve the fuel efficiency of the entire fleet deployed and increase the use of biofuels on the conventional vessels in the fleet.
The newbuilding project is the latest step in a series of efforts that have been undertaken between Unifeeder and Elbdeich Reederei to reduce emissions within the jointly-operated Unifeeder fleet. This includes the first test of Synthetic Natural Gas as a fuel on a commercial vessel, the continuous use of biofuels and various vessel modifications made to reduce the fuel consumption of existing tonnage.
Unifeeder Group is a logistics company, covering Europe, Africa, Asia & Central America and operating more than 150 vessels and make the way for +5,5 Mio. containers every year. Since 2018, the Unifeeder Group is owned by DP World. Within DP World, the Unifeeder Group forms DP World Marine Services.