Yang Ming & Hanwha Ocean: seven ammonia-ready container ships under construction
By on October 02, 2025
Click to learn more. Yang Ming is in the process of adding twelve dual-fuel containerships to its fleet, including seven ammonia-ready vessels. Source: Yang Ming Marine Transport.
Container shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation and Hanwa Ocean have signed a shipbuilding contract for seven 16,000 TEU, ammonia-ready dual-fuel container vessels. Once delivered in 2028 and 2029, the vessels will become part of the “green-energy ships” in Yang Ming’s fleet, as the company works towards fleet optimization and low-carbon transportation.
Granted the “Ammonia Fuel Ready Level 1C” notation by classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), a first for dual-fuel container vessels in Taiwan, the new vessels will be convertible to ammonia dual-fuel propulsion, and will comply with stringent IMO environmental requirements. Initially, the vessels will run on LNG.
The vessels will also feature a Type-B LNG fuel tank with a 1.0 bar design pressure jointly by Hanwha Ocean and ABS. This implies enhanced safety and efficiency relative to the conventional 0.7 bar design. The feature further futureproofs the design for future shore-power regulations.
Yang Ming also has five other 15,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessels scheduled for delivery from 2026. Combined, the twelve-strong fleet of LNG dual-fuel vessels will make up Yang Ming’s initial group of “green-energy ships”, placing it in good stead to comply with future international GHG regulations and enhancing its “green competitiveness”. The adoption of ammonia, which has a mature supply chain and existing infrastructure, as a fuel in converted LNG tanks lowers conversion costs as the industry works towards decarbonisation.
At our annual conference last year, PSM, a US-based Hanwa subsidiary, presented its ammonia-capable turbine engine technology for gas carrier applications, developed together with Hanwha and Baker Hughes. Although unclear at this stage, it may well be that the propulsion systems used in the seven vessels will feature this technology.