South Korean logistics company Hyundai Glovis, part of the Hyundai Motor Group, has ordered six 10,800 CEU LNG dual-fuel pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) in China, according to Offshore Energy.
The shipbuilding contract was signed with Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in mid-May 2024.
The vessel type was jointly developed and designed by GSI and Shanghai Ship Design Institute and is said to be “the world’s largest” dual-fuel car carrier.
The six-ship order is part of a batch of 10,000 CEU dual-fuel car carriers to be built by GSI and operated by Hyundai Glovis.
Recent years have witnessed strong demand for green and eco-friendly shipping capacity in the global automotive trade. Chinese shipbuilders have made significant strides by securing over 100 orders in the car carrier segment.
Chinese shipyards won most of the world’s new orders for car carriers last year. In the first half of 2023 alone, Chinese shipbuilding companies took orders for 43 car carriers, accounting for 97.7% of the global market share at the same stage, according to Clarkson Research statistics.
In early 2024, BYD, a China-based electric vehicle manufacturer, took delivery of its first car carrier which is dual-fueled.
The delivery of BYD Explorer No.1 has marked the beginning of the era of China’s own transport of domestically built cars.