SFL takes delivery of fourth LNG dual-fuel car carrier

Bermuda-based ship owner and charterer SFL Corporation has welcomed the fourth LNG dual-fuel car carrier, Thor Highway, to its fleet.

The car carrier, built by Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, was delivered more than a month ahead of schedule, on March 28, as the final piece of a four-unit order placed in 2021.

As disclosed previously, Thor Highway will go on a ten-year charter with Japanese shipping major K Line.

SFL welcomed the first two LNG dual-fuel car carriers, Wolfsburg and Emden, in 2023. The vessels have been chartered out to Volkswagen for ten years.

The third ship, Odin Highway, joined SFL’s fleet at the beginning of 2024 and it was also contracted by K-Line under a ten-year time charter agreement.

All four ships feature a capacity of 7,000 car equivalent units (CEU) and are equipped with dual-fuel technology, allowing for a transition between LNG and conventional fuel, thus enhancing operational flexibility and aligning with global efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the maritime industry.

The ships’ dual-fuel propulsion system has an endurance of up to 15,000 nautical miles.

The ships have a total length of 200 meters, a width of 38 meters, a design draft of 8.6 meters, and a design speed of 19 knots. Two out of 13 decks can be loaded with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.