The predominantly ro-ro based freight operator CLdN has confirmed a placement of an order for 10 newbuild load-on / load-off (lo-lo) container vessels with delivery as from January 2027.
Such a large order is a decisive step by the Luxembourg headquartered CLdN in branching out into the lo lo sector with its own container carrier fleet.
Each of the newbuild ships will have a cargo capacity of 1,100 TEU and will complement CLdN’s fleet of more than thirty roll-on / roll-off (ro-ro) vessels. The new ships claim CLdN will have outstanding fuel efficiency and an innovative open-top design to allow reduced port handling times.
Earlier this year, CLdN introduced a successful LoLo offering on its Ireland (Dublin and Cork) serving using chartered containerships operating from its recently acquired Distriport terminal in Rotterdam. This service recently expanded with the addition of a third weekly direct sailing between Rotterdam Distriport and Dublin.
The expansion into the LoLo segment is highly complementary to CLdN’s short-sea RoRo services and provides excellent operational flexibility, quick turnaround times in port and optimal sailing frequency for customers. This short lead time and high frequency product is unique in the current short sea container market, which is currently dominated by deep sea feeder carriers offering longer lead times and less frequent services.
The new vessels will be purposely built by HD Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan, South Korea. Hyundai is a long-term shipbuilding partner of CLdN and as Afloat also previously reported is currently completing construction of two 8,000 lane metre G9e RoRo vessels which are scheduled for delivery to CLdN in the first half of 2025.
Commenting on the order, Florent Maes, CEO of CLdN said: “This order is an important step towards realising our longer-term growth ambitions and cementing CLdN’s position as a leader in the unaccompanied short-sea freight market in Europe. Our recent entry into the LoLo segment, facilitated by the acquisition of the Distriport terminal in Rotterdam earlier in the year, has been very well received by customers and is proving highly complementary to our RoRo services.”
