For the first time, Chinese shipyards have secured orders: a Dutch shipowner has placed an order for two methanol-fueled container ships.

Recently, the Dutch near-sea container shipping company A2B-online announced that it has ordered two methanol-fueled container ships from the Weihai Shipyard of China Merchants Shipbuilding, further expanding its fleet renewal program. This also marks the company’s first choice of a Chinese shipyard for newbuildings.

It is understood that A2B-online previously ordered its first two 650-TEU methanol-fueled container ships from Turkey’s Sedef Shipyard in 2023. The two new vessels now being built at China Merchants Shipbuilding’s Weihai shipyard will be the third and fourth additions to its fleet renewal program, bringing the total number of newbuilds under this plan to four.

Currently, A2B-online has not disclosed the specific contract value of this new vessel order, the delivery schedule, or technical specifications such as container capacity. However, according to Clarkson’s data, the two newbuildings contracted by China Merchants Shipbuilding’s Weihai shipyard are both 650 TEU vessels, expected to be delivered in 2028.

According to reports, the new vessel features advanced energy-saving and environmentally friendly design and was jointly developed by A2B-online and Technolog Services, a ship design and engineering firm headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Without a significant increase in overall hull length, the new ship’s cargo capacity is twice that of existing older vessels, thereby substantially improving transport efficiency.

Like the first two newly built vessels, “A2B Vision” and “A2B Progress,” which are about to enter service, these two additional container ships will also be equipped with an advanced methanol dual-fuel propulsion system, shore power connection facilities, and a battery energy storage system. These features will enable zero-emission operations in ports and inland waterways by utilizing shore power and the battery system, further reducing carbon emissions during ship operations.

According to the plan, once delivered, this newbuild will be gradually deployed across A2B-online’s North Sea-based short-sea container network, primarily serving routes connecting Moerdijk in the Netherlands with Tilbury, Immingham, and Teesport in the United Kingdom.

According to reports, A2B-online’s current fleet comprises seven aging container vessels built by the German shipyard Sietas between 1995 and 1999. As these ships grow older, the company is gradually replacing its outdated capacity with newbuildings introduced in phases, aiming to enhance transport efficiency, reduce operating costs, and improve the environmental performance of its fleet.

Among these, the first two 650-TEU methanol-fueled container ships ordered in 2023 from Turkey’s Sedef Shipyard have already been launched and are now being prepared for entry into service. With this additional order of two new vessels from a Chinese shipyard, A2B-online’s fleet renewal plan has expanded further, providing greater capacity to support its future business development in the North Sea region.

A2B-online stated that the Weihai Shipyard of China Merchants Shipbuilding has extensive experience in building advanced dual-fuel vessels and is one of the world’s leading shipbuilders of such vessels.

Dinant de Jong, CEO of A2B-online, stated: “The decision to proceed with the construction of our third and fourth new vessels fully reflects our growth ambitions. Forming a partnership with a Chinese shipyard enables us to further expand our investments in and achievements toward sustainable development.”

According to reports, China Merchants Shipbuilding’s Weihai Shipyard is a key domestic hub for building high-end ro-ro passenger vessels. For many years, it has focused on constructing such vessels and car carriers, enjoying strong competitiveness in the international ro-ro market. Last year, after an absence of several years, the shipyard re-entered the container shipbuilding sector, actively pursuing feeder‑line container vessel orders to further diversify its product portfolio.

Including the latest orders, Clarkson’s data shows that Weihai Shipyard currently holds a total of 49 vessels amounting to 877,600 deadweight tons, comprising 20 passenger ferries, 14 car carriers, 11 container ships, 2 offshore support vessels, and 2 Ro-Ro vessels, with deliveries scheduled through 2031.