DFDS has ordered two ropax ferries from a Chinese shipyard, due for delivery in Q1 and Q3 2021.
“This investment reflects our commitment to and belief in a continued strong development in the Baltic region. The new ships will enable us to improve service levels for all our customers and improve the efficiency of the route network, also environmentally,” said DFDS chief executive Niels Smedegaard.
The ships are designed to each carry 4,500 lane metres of freight and passenger vehicles, and 600 passengers.
The two ships will be built by Guangzhou Shipyard International Co, Ltd at its Nansha Yard in China.
Both ships are planned to be deployed on one of the routes connecting Lithuania with either Sweden or Germany. DFDS said the deployment in 2021 is planned to be a “catalyst for a reallocation of ships in the Baltic route network” and ultimately increasing the network's total freight capacity by around 30%.
It said the ships are built to the “newest environmental standard offering the lowest possible consumption and emissions”. Scrubbers will also be installed on the ships.
The investment in the two ships totals around Dkr1.8Bn (US$297M) to be paid during the period from ordering to delivery in 2021.
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