K Line orders LNG car carriers
The vessels, each capable of carrying approximately 1,380 vehicles, will be built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co. and operated by K Line European Sea Highway Services (KESS), the company’s European subsidiary.
Designed specifically for the transport of smaller cargo volumes on frequent European routes, the new vessels are tailored to meet the size limitations of several European ports handling imported vehicles. The company expects these specifications to enhance operational flexibility and improve competitiveness in the regional shipping market.
In addition to passenger vehicles, the carriers will be capable of transporting heavy and oversized cargo. Each vessel will be equipped with a straight stern ramp featuring a 60-tonne load capacity, enabling the handling of a broader range of cargo types and improving loading efficiency.
Environmental performance is a central feature of the newbuild programme. The use of LNG as fuel is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by between 25% and 30% compared with conventional vessels powered by heavy fuel oil. Sulphur oxide emissions, a major contributor to air pollution, are expected to be almost completely eliminated.
The vessels will also incorporate high-pressure ME-GI engines and shaft generators designed to minimise methane slip emissions. Vacuum-insulated LNG tanks will reduce the generation of boil-off gas, enabling a machinery configuration that further lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
The order aligns with the company’s long-term environmental strategy, Environmental Vision 2050: Blue Seas for the Future, which targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. K Line is also exploring the use of bio-LNG and other carbon-neutral fuels as part of its broader decarbonisation efforts.
Each vessel will measure approximately 129.95 metres in length, 20.5 metres in width and will carry Ice Class 1A certification.
