Grieg orders new ammonia-ready open hatch vessels

CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Longxue yard will deliver the first of the four vessels in the spring of 2026, with the following three throughout the year. With a carrying capacity of over 82,000 dwt, the new ships will dwarf the 50,800 dwt L-class, previously the latest and largest vessels in the Grieg Maritime Group fleet.

“This class of vessels shows we are serious about climate action and plan to stay a leading player in the open hatch segment,” said Matt Duke, chief executive of Grieg Maritime Group.

The ships will be ammonia-ready with a MAN B&W 5S60ME engine and prepared for tanks holding 3,000 m3 of ammonia. Length overall is 225 metres, with a beam of 36 metres and a draft of 13,85 metres. The design will meet the EEDI Phase 3 and has been developed with input from Grieg Shipbrokers and G2 Ocean.

Fuel flexibility

Grieg Maritime Group is committed to the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association‘s climate targets, which stipulates that orders from 2030 should be for ships with zero-emission technology.

“These vessels are halfway there, as they give us the flexibility to be close to emission-free as soon as the fuels are available,” said head of shipowning in Grieg Maritime Group, Nicolai Greig.

“The design doesn’t tie us to just one fuel but lets us keep our options. We believe in ammonia for these ships. However, we can also look to methanol or carbon capture depending on how the technology develops,” he added.

‘PulpMax’

The ships are ideally suited for the G2 Ocean pulp trade with eight holds and four electro-hydraulic swing cranes with an individual capacity of 75 tonnes. When lifting in tandem, the cranes can handle cargo of up to 105 tonnes. Internally, the vessels have been dubbed ‘PulpMax’.

All ships will be DNV classed and have the Norwegian NIS flag, with Bergen as the home port.