On May 21, 2025, China Merchants Heavy Industry’s Nantong shipyard launched a 9,300-CEU methanol dual-fuel car carrier, the first of its kind globally, for China Merchants Energy Shipping Co., Ltd. (CMES), according to the company's release.
The vessel, measuring 219.9 meters in length, 37.7 meters in beam, and 10.2 meters in draft, has a design speed of 19 knots. It is equipped with methanol dual-fuel main and auxiliary engines, boilers, and a fuel supply system, ensuring compliance with IMO Tier III emissions standards.
The ship is the largest methanol-powered pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) currently under construction worldwide.
CMES has ordered a total of six methanol dual-fuel PCTCs from China Merchants Heavy Industry: two 9,300-CEU vessels ordered in March 2023, and four additional 7,800-CEU vessels ordered in November 2023. Deliveries are scheduled between the second half of 2025 and the end of 2026.
The engines, including two MAN B&W 7S60ME-LGIM main engines and six small-bore, seven-cylinder 21/31DF-M gensets, are being constructed by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Diesel Engine Co., Ltd. (CSE), with the first genset delivery expected in Q1 2025.
MacGregor, a Cargotec subsidiary, is supplying RoRo equipment for the two 9,300-CEU vessels, including external and internal ramps, covers, and electrically operated doors.
The vessels are designed to support China’s growing automobile exports, aligning with CMES’s goal to expand its international RoRo transportation business while adhering to stricter emissions regulations.
China Merchants Energy Shipping Co., Ltd., a Shanghai-listed subsidiary of China Merchants Group, operates a fleet of over 300 vessels, including 52 very large crude carriers (VLCCs).
China Merchants Heavy Industry, a subsidiary of China Merchants Group, is one of China’s leading shipbuilding and offshore engineering companies.