The vessels are being built to meet the growing demand for fossil-free cargo solutions. Credit: ESL Shipping.

ESL Shipping, a subsidiary of Aspo, has announced the construction of four new 1A ice-class fossil-free vessels to serve the Nordic green transition.

The handysize vessels, valued at approximately €186m ($203m), are designed to meet the increasing demand for fossil-free cargo solutions.

The company can expand the order with several vessels.

Better cargo capacity, energy efficiency, and flexible cargo space design make the vessels more competitive, ESL said.

They are engineered to operate entirely on green hydrogen-based e-methanol or biomethanol, eliminating the reliance on fossil fuels. This approach is said to ensure low operating costs.

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ESL Shipping board chairman Aspo CEO Rolf Jansson said: “This investment is fully aligned with Aspo’s portfolio vision and financial ambition as communicated on Aspo’s capital markets day on 14 May 2024. ESL Shipping aims to be at the forefront in supporting its industrial partners towards delivering entirely fossil-free products and services.

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“This investment in fossil-free handysize vessels is a natural step to take now, when the still ongoing investment in low-emission hybrid coasters has proven to be highly successful.”

Scheduled to enter service from the third quarter of 2027 to the first quarter of 2028, the ships are being constructed at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing.

The design process involved collaboration with ship design firm Deltamarin in Finland and the Swedish SSPA model test facility.

ESL Shipping’s involvement in the design phase was crucial to tailor the vessels to local customer needs.

The majority of main equipment, including the powertrain with battery hybrid drive and cargo handling systems, are sourced from European suppliers.

In June 2022, ESL Shipping chose the low-emission Neste Marine 0.1 co-processed marine fuel for its vessels in Sweden and Finland.