Maritime group CMB.TECH has signed an agreement with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) to jointly own and charter nine ammonia-powered vessels between 2026 and 2029.
The agreement covers three ammonia dual-fuel Newcastlemax bulk carriers and six chemical tankers.
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Of the chemical tankers, two will be ammonia dual-fuel, while the remaining four will ammonia-ready vessels.
The three Newcastlemax bulk carriers, each with a capacity of 210,000 deadweight tonnes (dwt), are currently on order at Qingdao Beihai Shipyard.
Scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027, the Newcastlemax ships will be jointly owned by CMB.TECH and MOL and chartered to MOL for 12 years each.
Additionally, six chemical tankers have been ordered from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Yangzhou) by CMB.TECH.
These will be chartered to MOL CHEMICAL TANKERS for a term ranging between seven and ten years.
CMB.TECH CEO Alexander Saverys said: “We are proud and honoured to sign this landmark agreement with MOL and MOLCT, one of the most respected shipowners in the world. MOL and CMB.TECH share the same vision of decarbonising the maritime industry, and the partnership for these nine vessels is a major milestone towards achieving shipping industry’s goals of net zero emissions by 2050.
“Thanks to this agreement, CMB.TECH increases its contract backlog by $921m to $2.94bn, clearly demonstrating that our strategy of fleet rejuvenation, decarbonisation and diversification is yielding tangible results.”
In a related development, CMB.TECH recently acquired a substantial stake in Bermuda-based Golden Ocean Group.
The transaction saw the purchase of approximately 40.8% of Golden Ocean’s outstanding shares at $14.49 per share, involving 81,363,730 shares.
Last month, MOL signed a memorandum of understanding with Fukada Salvage & Marine Works to explore collaborative opportunities in developing vessels for the transportation and installation of floating offshore wind turbines in Japan.
