Two vessels from Jinling are expected to be delivered by November 2025, with a second batch of two at the end of March 2026. The three from Jiangnan are also expected in two batches, the first in October 2025 and the second also in March 2026.
SAIC Anji, the logistics and shipping subsidiary of China’s SAIC, has ordered seven new car carrier vessels, all to be built in China. Four of the ships will be built at Jinling shipyard, in Nanjing province and three at Jiangnan, Shanghai.
Each vessel will have a car equivalent unit capacity of 8,900, with the total order representing 62,300 units. Reports in shipping news suggest that the car carriers could be the most expensive ever ordered, at more than $100 per vessel.
The multi-fuel carriers as thought to be being built to be conventually fuelled but ready to be used with purely methanol fuel, a potential way to reduce maritime emissions. Two vessels from Jinling are expected to be delivered by November 2025, with a second batch of two at the end of March 2026. The three from Jiangnan are also expected in two batches, the first in October 2025 and the second also in March 2026.
With a strong rise in vehicle exports from China to Europe, there has been a significant shortage in ro-ro capacity from China, which has prompted some carmakers to go as far as looking to buy their own carriers.
This order for seven new carriers follows Anji contracting three 7,800 car equivalent unit carriers from Jiangnan shipyard in June last year, at a cost of $270m. Anji also ordered two 7,600 unit carriers from a Hong Kong Shipping (CSSC) shipyard in March 2022, to be delivered in 2024.
China exported 3.11m cars in 2022, 54.4% growth from 2021. Anji has the largest company-owned car carrier fleet in China and also jointly established Cosco Shipping Car Carrier, with Cosco Shipping Specialized Carrier and SIPG Logistics in 2022 to further expand its logistics offering.
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