Dutch short sea shipping firm A2B-online has ordered two additional vessels from China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard, expanding its fleet renewal programme to four newbuilds.
The third and fourth vessels will feature methanol propulsion systems, shore-power connectivity and battery capacity, the firm said in a press release last week.
They will follow the design of the first two ships, A2B Vision and A2B Progress, which are expected to enter service soon.
The newbuilds will have double the cargo capacity of vessels in A2B-online's existing fleet, without a significant increase in overall length. Their design was developed in partnership with Hamburg-based Technolog Services.
Following delivery, the vessels will operate on shortsea routes connecting Moerdijk in the Netherlands with the UK ports of Tilbury, Immingham and Teesport.
The expansion will allow A2B-online to progressively replace older vessels while increasing capacity and reducing emissions.
