Sailing green: James Fisher books LNG dual-fuel tanker quartet in China

As part of its commitment to building a ‘future-ready’ fleet, the UK-based shipowner and provider of marine engineering services James Fisher and Sons plc has placed an order for four LNG dual-fuel tankers at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Yangzhou) Dingheng.

As disclosed, the steel cutting took place in November 2024, with the handover of the first tanker anticipated for the end of 2025.

Owing to their LNG/dual-fuel propulsion capability, the vessels are projected to achieve minimal operational carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and associated environmental impact in the long run, according to the company.

It is understood that several eco-friendly features that will add to the overall sustainability of the units have been carried over from recent additions to James Fisher’s fleet, namely the 6,000 dwt Sir John Fisher—welcomed in November 2022—and the 6,000 dwt Lady Maria Fisher, delivered in January 2023 and christened a year later. Both of the vessels were built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Yangzhou).

These features reportedly include an optimized hull form, waste heat recovery through cooling water and exhaust gas, 100% LED lighting as well as environmentally controlled engine room fans. In addition to this, the newbuildings are set to comprise further energy efficiency measures to address emissions in the port.

“Our ‘Fleet of the Future’ strategy focuses on integrating improved design and advanced technologies to enhance the sustainability of our vessels and optimize overall performance. These measures will help us build a resilient maritime fleet that prioritizes crew safety and wellbeing while enhancing vessel management to help us serve our customers’ needs in a more efficient and less carbon-intensive way,” said Cyrille Levesque, James Fisher’s Chief Technology Officer.

“With this project, we are bringing pioneering new technologies and sustainable practices to the maritime sector. These new vessels will enable us to support our long-standing customers while helping them to achieve their environmental performance and sustainability ambitions,” Krystyna Tsochlas, James Fisher’s Head of Maritime Transport, added.

In October 2023, James Fisher was behind an order for a quartet of LNG dual-fuel tankers, currently under construction at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Yangzhou) and scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2026. In July of the following year, Finnish technology group Wärtsilä was contracted to supply a fully integrated, mechanical drive, propulsion package for the ships.

In related news, in September 2024, James Fisher Fendercare (JF Fendercare), part of James Fisher and Sons plc, voiced support for an industry consortium led by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) to undertake ammonia ship-to-ship transfers in Pilbara, Australia. The company revealed that the success of this operation could pave the way for ammonia to be used as a sustainable marine fuel.