Finnish owner Langh Ship has ordered three LNG-fuelled and methanol and ammonia-ready multipurpose dry cargo vessels at Wuhu shipyard in China, which will serve compatriot stainless steel manufacturer Outokumpu on the short sea lane between Finland and continental Europe.

The first vessel is anticipated to arrive in mid-2023, followed by the other two at regular intervals. Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) designed the 7,800 DWT newbuildings for all-year traffic in the northern Gulf of Bothnia and ice class 1A.

In addition to the option of being converted to run on various fossil-free fuels, the ships are prepared for the installation of onshore power, which would make them emission-free during port calls, as well as batteries.

Langh Ship has three MMPs, specially equipped for shipments of steel, currently on charter to Outokumpu. The new vessels are set to operate between Outokumpu’s main port, Tornio in Finland, and its continental hub, Terneuzen in the Netherlands.