Sallaum Lines Signs New Order with China Merchants Shipyard for One plus One 8,600 CEU Newbuilding

Weeks After the 2+2 Order from Xiamen Shipyard, Sallaum Lines Signs New Order with China Merchants Shipyard for One + One 8,600 CEU Newbuilding

The additional firm order strengthens Sallaum Lines’ position in a tight global PCTC market and expands its long-term investment in LNG dual-fuel, ammonia-ready tonnage.

June 2026 — Sallaum Lines is pleased to announce the signing of a new shipbuilding contract with China Merchants Shipyard for the construction of one + one additional 8,600 CEU Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC).

The new vessel will be LNG dual-fuel and ammonia-ready, with delivery scheduled for 2029. This latest firm order comes only weeks after Sallaum Lines announced a separate newbuilding agreement with Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. for two firm 8,600 CEU vessels, with options for two additional vessels.

The China Merchants order adds further momentum to Sallaum Lines’ newbuilding programme and confirms the company’s continued investment in modern, high-capacity RoRo tonnage at a time when the global PCTC market remains structurally important to automotive supply chains.

The newly signed vessel at China Merchants Shipyard brings Sallaum Lines’ total newbuilding programme to nine vessels, representing a total order value of above USD 850 million. The programme includes four vessels already delivered, one vessel scheduled for delivery in August 2026, one vessel scheduled for delivery in December 2026, and three vessels scheduled for delivery in 2029.

A Market Where Capacity Still Matters

The global PCTC fleet remains a highly specialized segment of shipping. Unlike container or bulk markets, car carriers are purpose-built vessels, operated by a relatively concentrated group of owners and liner operators, and designed around the specific requirements of automotive manufacturers, dealers, heavy equipment producers, and project cargo customers.

Across the global fleet, only around the high-700 vessel range serves the deep-sea car, truck, and rolling cargo market. Within that fleet, modern high-capacity vessels remain especially important, as OEMs increasingly require larger parcel sizes, schedule reliability, lower emissions, and the flexibility to carry a wider cargo mix.

Over recent years, the PCTC market has seen strong demand from several directions at once. Traditional automotive exports remain a core driver, while Chinese vehicle exports, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, construction machinery, agricultural equipment, and other high-and-heavy cargo have added further depth to the market.

This has created a more complex demand environment. The market is no longer only about moving passenger cars from one manufacturing region to another. It is increasingly about connecting global production, emerging consumer markets, Chinese export growth, heavy rolling equipment demand, and port networks capable of handling larger volumes.

Against this background, Sallaum Lines’ decision to continue investing in 8,600 CEU vessels reflects a clear view of the market: capacity alone is not enough. The right capacity must be efficient, flexible, and technically prepared for future environmental requirements.

Strengthening the Newbuilding Pipeline

Sallaum Lines has already made significant progress in renewing its fleet.

The company previously ordered six LNG dual-fuel vessels, of which four have already been delivered. The fifth vessel is scheduled for delivery in August 2026, followed by the sixth vessel in December 2026.

The recently announced 2+2 order at Xiamen Shipbuilding marked the next phase of this expansion, introducing larger 8,600 CEU vessels into the company’s future fleet. The new order at China Merchants Shipyard adds 1+1 vessel to the pipeline and further strengthens the company’s delivery schedule for 2029.

Together, these investments position Sallaum Lines to serve a market where vessel quality, cargo flexibility, environmental performance, and long-term availability are becoming decisive factors.

Designed for Flexibility

The newly ordered vessel will have a carrying capacity of 8,600 Car Equivalent Units, placing it among the largest vessels in the Sallaum Lines fleet.

The vessel will be designed to support a broad cargo mix, including passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, trucks, heavy rolling equipment, and project cargo. This flexibility is important for Sallaum Lines’ global trade network, which serves routes across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.

As trade patterns continue to shift, especially with the growth of Chinese vehicle exports and changing flows into emerging markets, the ability to carry different types of rolling cargo becomes increasingly valuable.

The 8,600 CEU design gives Sallaum Lines additional scale, while maintaining the operational flexibility required to serve a wide range of customers and ports.

LNG Dual-Fuel and Ammonia-Ready

The new vessel will be equipped with LNG dual-fuel technology, allowing it to operate on LNG as well as conventional marine fuels when required.

LNG remains an important transition fuel for deep-sea shipping. It offers an available and practical pathway to lower-emission operations today, while the industry continues to develop the infrastructure, regulation, and commercial availability of future fuels.

At the same time, the vessel will be built with an ammonia-ready design. This means that the ship is being prepared from the design stage for potential future conversion, once green ammonia becomes more mature as a marine fuel solution.

For Sallaum Lines, this is a practical approach to the energy transition. The company is not relying on one single pathway. Instead, it is investing in vessels that can operate efficiently today while remaining adaptable for tomorrow.

Statement from Sallaum Lines

“This new order with China Merchants Shipyard is another important step in the development of our future fleet.

Only weeks after our 2+2 order at Xiamen Shipbuilding, we are pleased to confirm an additional One+One 8,600 CEU vessel. This shows the momentum behind our fleet renewal programme and our confidence in the long-term fundamentals of the PCTC market.

The automotive logistics market is changing. Customers need capacity, reliability, flexibility, and a clear environmental direction from their shipping partners. With this newbuilding programme, we are investing in all of these areas.

The new vessel will be LNG dual-fuel and ammonia-ready, giving us a practical solution for today and future readiness for tomorrow. This is how we believe modern fleet development should be done: with scale, discipline, and flexibility.”

Hasan Sallaum, Managing Director, Sallaum Lines

Reading the Market

The PCTC sector has entered a new phase.

After several years of tight vessel availability and strong demand, the industry has seen a wave of newbuilding activity. However, ordering decisions remain highly strategic. New vessels require long lead times, significant capital investment, and careful technical choices. For operators, the question is no longer simply whether to add ships, but what type of ships to add and how they will perform over the next twenty to thirty years.

Sallaum Lines’ latest order is therefore not only a capacity decision. It is also a timing decision.

By securing additional 2029 delivery capacity now, the company is preparing for the next phase of market development, while ensuring that its future fleet remains aligned with customer expectations and environmental regulations.

The order also reflects the growing role of Chinese shipyards in the global PCTC newbuilding market. With many of the latest-generation car carriers being built in China, shipyard selection, delivery timing, technical specification, and maker choices have become increasingly important parts of fleet strategy.

A Fleet Built for Long-Term Partnerships

Sallaum Lines’ customers operate in industries where reliability and planning visibility are essential. Automotive manufacturers, equipment producers, freight forwarders, and project cargo clients require stable capacity, predictable schedules, and vessels capable of handling different cargo profiles.

The company’s newbuilding programme is designed to support these needs.

With nine vessels ordered in total and a total programme value above USD 850 million, Sallaum Lines is making a long-term commitment to its customers and trade lanes. The investment strengthens the company’s ability to provide modern RoRo capacity across its global network, while continuing to improve operational and environmental performance.