GENERAL NEWS

EPS reported to place 3+3 dual-fuel NH3 Newcastlemax order

3 years ago

Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) is reported to have placed an order for three Newcastlemax bulk carriers with Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry, with an option for a further three vessels, according to Chinese-language social media reports and broker reports. The order is understood to be the first order for bulk carriers to be powered by dual-fuel engines capable of operating on ammonia as fuel.

According to reports, the vessels will be the first dry bulk vessels to fitted with MAN Energy Solutions G60 two-stroke dual-fuel NH3 engine. MAN Energy Solutions recently confirmed to be The Motorship that the first vessel to be equipped with the solution will be delivered in 2025. The first 210,000 dwt vessels ordered by EPS are expected to be delivered from 2026 onwards.

EPS has consistently acted as an early adopter for vessels propelled by engines operating on alternative fuels. In June 2022, The Motorship reported on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between EPS, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) relating to the construction of an NH3 dual-fuel gas tanker.