Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation has confirmed an order for seven LNG-fuelled container ships that will be built to be suitable for conversion to ammonia propulsion.
The Taiwanese liner operator signed the contract with South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean this week for the 16,000 TEU vessels, due for delivery between 2028 and 2029.
The deal was signed by Yang Ming chairman Chuck Tsai and Hanwha Ocean CEO Charles Kim.
The ships, each with a capacity of 15,880 TEU, will be the first in Taiwan to carry the Ammonia Fuel Ready (AFR) specification.
They have already been granted the “Ammonia Fuel Ready Level 1C” notation by classification society ABS.
The design also includes the world’s first Type-B LNG fuel tank with a 1.0 bar design pressure, developed under a joint development project between Hanwha Ocean and ABS.
This tank is designed to improve the safety and efficiency of LNG operations compared to the more conventional 0.7 bar design, while supporting compliance with future shore-power regulations.
Yang Ming said LNG remains one of the most practical alternative fuels currently available, with the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 20%. Ammonia is being considered as one of the leading zero-carbon marine fuel candidates for the future.
The company also has five 15,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel boxships scheduled for delivery starting in 2026. Once completed, the 12-ship series will form a key part of its fleet renewal and decarbonisation plans.
