The technology group Wärtsilä has been selected to provide the design for two new bulk and container carriers. The ships are being built for Dubai based P&O Maritime Logistics at the Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding yard in China. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in January 2020. There is an option for a third vessel to the same Wärtsilä design.

The special purpose customised design takes into consideration the specific operating conditions and limitations the ships will encounter. Built to operate along the Fly River and coastal areas near Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, the vessels will need to be capable of manoeuvring in narrow and shallow waters, while at the same time having maximised cargo capacity and deadweight.

“Our experience in delivering efficient, customised designs was tremendously important in the award of this contract. Also, the fact that we have earlier designed a vessel for P&O that successfully meets the same operational challenges in Papua New Guinea, very much counted in our favour,” says Tomaz Nabergoj, Director, Ship Design, Wärtsilä Marine.

“It has been our pleasure to work with Wärtsilä on the ship design for this project. Their cooperation enabled us to evaluate and select the best design solution, taking into consideration the size and propulsion configuration. The customised design selected fully meets our needs and expectations,” said John Connor, Head of Australia and PNG at P&O Maritime Logistics.

The 90 metres long, 5400 DWT ships will have a nominal container capacity of 229 units. The first vessel is scheduled to be delivered by Q3 2021.