On the morning of October 28th, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding held the naming ceremony for the fourth "O" series 8200 TEU dual-fuel LNG-powered container ship Kota Orkid built for Singapore PIL.
This is the last of the four brand-new "O" series ships for PIL, marking another solid step in the transformation of PIL's green fleet. The ship will serve the PIL South-West Africa route (SWS) together with the previous three ships of the Kota Oasis, Kota Ocean, and Kota Odyssey fleets, further enhancing the shipping connectivity and service flexibility between Asia and West Africa, and promoting efficient and reliable global trade.
The ship was named Kota Orkid by the wife of PIL's director, Mr. Yap Chee Keong, who is the godmother. Kota Orkid is derived from the Malay language for the national flower of Singapore - orchid, symbolizing resilience, elegance, and quality improvement, reflecting the enterprise resilience and green vision of PIL.
Mr. Zhang Songsheng, the Executive Chairman of PIL, delivered a speech at the naming ceremony. He said: " Kota Orkid is our eighth new ship received in the past year and another significant progress in Taiping's strategy of expanding and upgrading the fleet. With the continuous expansion of the LNG dual-fuel fleet, we not only improved the fleet's capacity and ship technology, but also continued to invest in green shipping. This ship will play an important role in strengthening our route services and creating greater value for customers."
The Kota Orkid ship is PIL's eighth LNG dual-fuel ship to date. In addition to the four "O" series ships received this year, PIL has also received four 14,000 TEU dual-fuel LNG-powered ships since 2024. Currently, it has 12 orders on hand, including 5 13,000 TEU and 7 9,000 TEU ships, and is expected to be delivered in the coming years.
Mr. Lars Kastrup, the Chief Executive Officer of PIL, pointed out: " Kota Orkid demonstrates the continuous progress of PIL's green, digital intelligence, and efficient operations. Through the adoption of cleaner fuels, more advanced technologies and digital systems, Taiping can always promote innovation and sustainable development, maintain resilience and flexibility, and meet the evolving global trade demands."
It is known that this type of ship is a new generation of green and energy-efficient container ship jointly developed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI) and Yangtze River Shipbuilding Group. It is highly flexible in operation and can handle both regional and ocean routes. Its performance indicators such as speed, cargo capacity, and heavy container quantity are all superior to the contractual requirements.
The total length of this type of ship is 260.0 meters, the width is 45.6 meters, the depth is 24.7 meters, and the designed draft is 12.5 meters, while the structural draft is 15.5 meters. The maximum loading capacity is 8,350 TEU, including 5,562 TEU in the hold and 2,788 TEU on the deck. The refrigerated containers can hold 850 FEU, including 200 FEU in the hold and 650 FEU on the deck. The cargo hold structure, hatch covers, and lashing bridges are integrated for an integrated design, enabling the arbitrary combination and loading of cold boxes, dangerous goods boxes, standard boxes, and high boxes without losing space.
The new ship is equipped with a GTT film fuel tank, which is also suitable for ammonia fuel loading and has obtained the corresponding ammonia-ready classification symbol for LNG dual-fuel container ships. This represents the most advanced design and construction technology for medium-sized container ships. The ship is equipped with Wärtsilä's LNG dual-fuel supply system, meeting the strictest global emission requirements (compared with traditional fuel container ships, it can reduce 20% of carbon, 85% of nitrogen oxides, and 99% of sulfur oxides), and its EEDI has met the requirements of the third phase in advance.
The main engine of the new ship is equipped with an advanced iCER system, which not only ensures that the fuel mode meets the nitrogen oxide Tier III emission requirements, but also reduces methane leakage in the LNG mode, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and having the flexibility to use biogas fuel. The generator is equipped with a SCR system, also meeting the IMO's emission requirements for nitrogen oxides. The hydrodynamic hull design and anti-fouling coating can further improve fuel efficiency.
With the addition of the Kota Orkid vessel, the Taiping fleet is accelerating its modernization, high-performance, and sustainable development, providing more reliable and greener shipping solutions for global customers.