Wallenius Wilhelmsen is continuing to advance its large-scale fleet renewal program. The company announced that it has recently signed an agreement with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard to order 4+8 9,900 CEU next-generation car carriers. If all options are exercised, the company’s ongoing newbuilding program will increase to 26 vessels.

The new vessels will adopt Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Shaper-class design and will be equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of operating on both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and conventional marine fuel.

The Shaper-class vessels are designed to transport a wide range of ro-ro cargoes. According to Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the class features liftable decks, heavy-duty ramps and flexible cargo hold spaces, enabling it to carry everything from passenger cars to large vehicles and heavy machinery.

The company said the vessel design is also an important part of its efforts to gradually provide lower-emission transport services while maintaining price competitiveness.

The order is part of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s continued expansion and renewal of its car-carrier fleet. The company launched its fleet renewal program in 2023, the largest fleet renewal project in its history.

The four contracted vessels are scheduled to begin delivery from mid-2030. In addition, the agreement includes two batches of options: four vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2031, and another four in 2032. If all options are exercised, the total investment in the 12 vessels is expected to be approximately USD 1.5 billion.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s decision to expand its newbuilding order mainly reflects its expectation of continued growth in international car transportation demand. In particular, the continued growth of China’s car exports is changing the global car shipping landscape and bringing new opportunities to the car-carrier market.

Xavier Leroi, Chief Operating Officer of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Shipping Services business, said: “We still see attractive market opportunities in our existing business areas. We want to ensure that we have sufficient capacity, flexibility and operational efficiency to meet our customers’ transportation needs for decades to come.”

He noted that extending newbuilding deliveries into 2030 and beyond reflects the company’s confidence in the long-term prospects of the car-carrier market.

“We are investing now so that we can continue to grow together with our customers in the future, while further consolidating our leading position in deep-sea ro-ro shipping.”

Currently, the first vessels in the company’s Shaper-class newbuilding program have begun delivery and entered operation, including “Arctic Tern” and “Royal Tern.”