The Scandinavian shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen has attracted a great deal of attention with a series of newbuilds worth billions: the “Arctic Tern” has now been added to the fleet as the first vessel in the new ‘Shaper Class’.
The “Arctic Tern” is fitted with a dual-fuel engine, is designed to run on methanol and is expected to offer greater operational efficiency than comparable vessels—
The vessel will be operated by “Eukor Car Carriers”, the shipping company jointly owned by the Hyundai Motor Group and Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Following delivery, the “Arctic Tern” is set to enter service between Asia and Europe almost immediately. The first methanol bunkering operation is also expected to take place shortly after the handover at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing).
“As the first vessel in our new Shaper-Class series, the ‘Arctic Tern’ symbolises our commitment to investing in the future of shipping,” says Xavier Leroi, COO of Shipping Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, who is also CEO of Eukor Car Carriers.
New series for fleet renewal
According to Wallenius Wilhelmsen , the “Shaper Class” is designed to offer greater cargo capacity, higher efficiency and greater fuel flexibility. The company aims to respond to changing customer requirements and regulatory requirements with this series. The vessels are also seen as a building block towards the goal of offering net-zero end-to-end services from as early as 2027.
The series is named after birds with long migratory routes. The ‘Arctic Tern’ is named after the Arctic tern, which is known for its particularly long migrations.
“As the first vessel in our new Shaper Class series, the ‘Arctic Tern’ symbolises our commitment to investing in the future of shipping,” explained Xavier Leroi, COO of Shipping Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, who is also CEO of Eukor Car Carriers.
Several companies within the Wallenius Wilhelmsen group were involved in the newbuild project. According to the companies, Wallenius Marine was responsible, amongst other things, for site management and ensuring the vessel was ready for delivery at the shipyard. Wilhelmsen Ship Management prepared the vessel for commercial operation and will take over the technical (jwy)
