Chinese-Polish state-owned shipowner Chipolbrok has expanded its newbuilding pipeline with an order for four large multipurpose heavy-lift vessels， as it moves to boost capacity for project and energy cargoes.

The multipurpose and heavylift joint venture has contracted Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering in China to build a series of 60，800 dwt MPPs， marking another step in its long-running fleet renewal programme. Pricing was not disclosed.

The ships will be the world’s first MPP vessels fitted with bow thrusters， aimed at improving manoeuvrability during port operations. They will also feature a fore-bridge layout， with the accommodation block moved to the bow to free up deck space.

Designed for heavy and oversized cargoes， the vessels will measure just under 200 m in length with a beam of 32.3 m， and offer a large， flat deck with upgraded strength of 4.5 t/sq m. Each ship will be equipped with three 200-tonne cranes， giving a combined lifting capacity of up to 400 tonnes.

The design also targets flexibility across project， bulk and container trades. The ships will have four cargo holds， including an open hatch arrangement， and a container intake of up to 3，180 teu， mainly on deck.

Chipolbrok， with a fleet of over 30 ships， said the new design improves cargo intake compared with its existing 62，000 dwt MPPs， particularly for wind energy components， while also cutting fuel consumption and meeting IMO Tier III and EEDI Phase III requirements.