PIL launches a pair of LNG dual-fuel container ships

Singaporean shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL) has launched two LNG dual-fuel container ships from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard.

PHOTO: The launch ceremony of PIL’s LNG dual-fuel containerships Kota Eagle and Kota Emerald. PIL

The two 14,000 TEU container ships, Kota Eagle and Kota Emerald, are fitted with dual-fuel engines that can operate on both LNG and conventional marine fuels. Once delivered, they will serve routes between the Far East and Latin America.

PIL also has 11 other LNG dual-fuel container ships on order, including two 14,000 TEU vessels, four 8,000 TEU vessels, and five 13,000 TEU vessels. All these ships are being built in China and will be delivered progressively over the next few years.

LNG has been gaining popularity among shipowners. The global LNG-fuelled fleet is currently made up of 607 vessels, with another 115 expected to join this year, classification society DNV data shows.

LNG can curb carbon dioxide emissions by about a quarter compared to conventional bunker fuels. But its methane emissions can be 36 times more potent as a greenhouse gas (GHG) compared to carbon dioxide over a century, according to a World Bank study.

By Tuhin Roy

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