Japan’s Ocean Network Express (ONE) has ordered ten new 13 700-TEU vessels, due for delivery in 2025, the line has said in a company statement.
Five of the newbuilds have been ordered from Nihon Shipyard (NSY), the new facility announced last year through a joint venture between Japan Marine United Corporation and Imabari Shipbuilding.
NSY being entrusted with at least half of ONE’s bulk order is widely seen as an attempt by Japan to re-emerge as a reckoned shipbuilder, a position that has been overshadowed by shipbuilding concerns in South Korea and China.
Five of the other vessels ordered by ONE will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea.
A significant aspect of the orders is the ammonia and methanol capabilities with which the vessels will be equipped, confirming ONE’s commitment to meeting decarbonisation targets by the time it receives the vessels.
The carrier said: “This investment embodies ONE’s Midterm Strategy announced in March to safeguard a sustainable supply chain for the future.
“The vessels are designed with the highest efficiency standards as well as a variety of cutting-edge technology to reduce navigational impacts to the environment and are planned for the "ready notation" or "AiP (Approval in Principle)" of ammonia and methanol as fuel, carbon capture and storage.”
The line added that “this fleet will enable ONE to broaden the exploration of long-term alternative fuels and decarbonisation technologies in the future”.
