Erik Thun orders 4 newbuilds to diversify fleet

Swedish shipping company Erik Thun has added four vessels to its orderbook, focusing on fuel diversity and efficiency over picking a fuel of the future.

The company has ordered two dry cargo vessels and two product tankers from Dutch shipyard Shipsveerf Ferus Smit. The cargo vessels will run on conventional bunker fuels and possibly bio-blends, and are scheduled to be on the water in 2026. Battery packs will be included to be less fuel-dependent in port.

The product tankers will be methanol-ready, adding to the company's range of dual-fuel ships on order - which it calls Resource Efficiency Class and that include LNG-powered vessels. The newest orders are scheduled for delivery in 2027.

The company told Argus it would not "put all [its] eggs in one basket" when preparing for the energy transition, but instead is focusing on diversifying its fuel technologies and optimising energy efficiency. It is increasingly unlikely that any single fuel will become the definitive way forward in the energy transition.

The Shipsveerf Ferus Smit shipyard is a longstanding partner of Erik Thun, but was also chosen for its proximity to their market.

Classification body DNV recently published data on its Alternative Fuels Insight platform that suggest methanol was the preferred alternative fuel for retrofitting and newbuilds in 2023.

When asked about EU ETS - the bloc's carbon levy - and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) target for 20-30pc greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030, Erik Thun said its fleet already meets these targets and these orders would help go beyond them.

By Anya Fielding