Sallaum Lines orders six dual-fuel PCTCs, dips further into Chinese market

Switzerland-based RoRo cargo shipping company Sallaum Lines has placed an order for six more dual-fuel/liquefied natural gas (LNG) pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessels in China.

The company revealed that two of the newbuilds are set to be constructed by Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding and the remaining four by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing.

As disclosed, the units will have a capacity ranging between 7,400 and 7,500 CEU. Two of them were designed by the Shanghai Shipbuilding Research and Design Institute’s (SDARI) work, while the other four were envisioned by Finland’s Deltamarin.

As per London-based data provider VesselsValue, the first of the ships will be handed over in December 2025. The remainder is slated for delivery by the end of 2026.

It is understood that the newbuilds will utilize dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology, which is anticipated to slash carbon dioxide emissions by at least 25% (if not more). Additional retrofits are expected to further contribute to Sallaum’s goals to meet international climate targets.

In regards to the decision to swing the door open to China’s original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Sallaum Lines elaborated that imbalanced trades, capacity constraints at sea and in ports, labor shortages and a surge in vessel imports from the Far Eastern nation have challenged Europe’s vehicle handling ports and shipping companies.

By extension, this also prompted the Swiss business to see how it could “capitalize” on the ballooning Chinese import trend.

In parallel to this, Sallaum Terminal, the central hub of Sallaum Line’s European shipping activities, has allegedly outlined a ‘major’ investment to improve and increase its operations at the Belgian Port of Antwerp-Bruges in a sustainable fashion. An “essential” part of this plan is said to be the construction of a multi-story parkhouse covering around 47,000 cbm.

Once phase one of this endeavor is completed, Sallaum Lines anticipates the terminal’s capacity to balloon to 15,000 units. After phase two, there are plans to augment the terminal further and eventually reach 17,000.

In terms of collaboration, Sallaum Lines contracted Finland’s Wärtsilä in April 2024 to supply a range of solutions intended to reduce the carbon footprint of six PCTCs owned by the Dubai-based Sallaum Lines DMCC, an international RoRo cargo operator.

As informed, through its joint venture company Wärtsilä Qiyao Diesel Company, (WQDC), the Finnish player was commissioned to deliver three Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary gen-sets, operating primarily on LNG as a fuel, for each of the six vessels.

This development came just months after Wärtsilä’s decarbonization program was picked by Sallaum Lines for two of its Dubai business’ PCTCs.