At the Marintec China trade fair in Shanghai, DNV GL entered into a Joint Development Project (JDP) with Huangpu-Wenchong Shipbuilding Company (HPWS) on a 5,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containership. Ms Wu Ronghui, HPWS Deputy Chief Engineer, and Falk Rothe, Head of DNV GL’s Technical Centre China, signed the JDP.

According to the agreement, HPWS and DNV GL will jointly develop a new energy-efficient 5,000 TEU Panamax container ship for the fast-growing intra-Asia trades. In order to minimize energy consumption, emissions to air, and achieve maximum cargo capacity with lower OPEX, the vessel will use LNG as ship fuel, have an hydrodynamically optimized low resistance ship line, and a more effective structural design. Enhanced ergonomic design features for greater crew comfort, as well as cutting edge intelligent ship technology are further highlights of this new green and smart ship.

“I am very excited this marks another significant achievement, further to the strategic cooperation agreement and the 200th DNV GL classed vessel built by HPWS last year. It is trust and synergies stemming from our powerful partnership that makes this happen today, and I am positive there is more to come in the near future,” said Mr. Wang Yi, HPWS Commission Director for Science and Technology.

“Closely partnering with industry and sharing knowledge is crucial to helping the industry improve its environmental footprint while remaining competitive, and the new HPWS vessel is a case in point for this approach,” said DNV GL’s Falk Rothe. “Working with innovative partners like HPWS gives us the opportunity to put our extensive experience in the container segment to work to help the industry with robust designs that are built for the market and regulatory environments of today and tomorrow.”

The JDP includes drawing assessments, an AIP statement, and a workshop looking into intra-Asia container transportation.