Keel Laid for Wallenius Marine’s First 6,500 CEU PCTC
On November 1, the Longkou Shipyard in Shandong, China held a keel laying ceremony for the first of Wallenius Marine's new Sleipner car carrier vessels.
In the summer of 2021, Wallenius Marine and Volkswagen signed a contract for two multi-fuel vessels with the ability to carry 6,500 cars each. After delivery, the vessels will be chartered out to Volkswagen Konzernlogistik GmbH & Co. OHG and transport new vehicles of the Volkswagen Group for at least 10 years, with ship management from Wallenius Marine.
The Sleipner ship design was created by Knud E. Hansen and Wallenius Marine and includes several features to reduce the environmental footprint, among others no need for ballast water when fully loaded. Each vessel will be 200 meters long and 37 meters wide.
The vessels are being built in blocks, which are now being put together following the keel laying ceremony at Longkou Shipyard, owned by CIMC Raffles.
“We are entering a new phase – from design work and simple block production to assembly of the blocks for a vessel on the slipway. It is very satisfying to see the vessel growing on the slip, according to the set timetable” said project manager Dan Reineck.
The first ship is scheduled to launch on June 30, 2023 ahead of its planned October 30 delivery date. The second vessel is slated for delivery in 2024.