According to Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE), the company has signed shipbuilding contracts with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. for four 1,380-vehicle capacity LNG dual-fuel car carriers.

The vessels will be operated by K Line European Sea Highway Services GmbH (KESS), “K” LINE’s European subsidiary, and are designed for frequent, small-lot vehicle transportation in European short-sea trades.

This is a different segment from the large deep-sea PCTC market. In European regional trades, vessel size, port access, cargo flexibility and environmental performance are all critical. The new vessels are designed to meet size restrictions at certain European car import ports, while also offering broader cargo-handling capability.

Each vessel will have an overall length of approximately 129.95 metres, a breadth of approximately 20.5 metres, a maximum vehicle capacity of around 1,380 units, and Ice Class 1A notation.

The vessels will also be equipped with straight stern ramps with a load capacity of 60 tonnes, enabling KESS to handle heavy and oversized cargo in addition to passenger cars.

On the environmental side, LNG fuel is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by 25% to 30% and SOx emissions by almost 100% compared with conventional heavy fuel oil. The vessels will use high-pressure ME-GI engines with shaft generators, together with vacuum-insulated LNG tanks, to reduce boil-off gas generation and lower methane slip emissions.

The order also adds to China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing)’s growing presence in the green car carrier segment. Earlier this year, United European Car Carriers ordered two 3,000 CEU multi-fuel battery hybrid car carriers at the same yard, following a previous order for two 4,500 CEU battery hybrid PCTCs.

From LNG dual-fuel to multi-fuel and battery hybrid designs, Chinese shipyards are continuing to expand their role in specialised, lower-emission car carrier projects — including the European short-sea market.