CLdN announced last week that it’s placed an order for two new 6,700 lane-metre Ro-Ro vessels with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Construction of the new vessels is set to begin towards the beginning of 2028, with delivery scheduled for mid-2029. The ships will be the 15th and 16th vessels ordered by CLdN from the South Korean shipbuilder over the past 10 years.
The new vessels are designed with one additional deck and increased ground space compared to CLdN’s existing 5,000 lane-metre class ships, with a configuration specifically adapted for trailer cargo.
The addition of these vessels to CLdN’s fleet will ensure customers benefit from an even broader range of shipping options via CLdN’s extensive fleet of Ro-Ro and container vessels.
Combined with its own network of ports, and a door-to-door offering extending throughout Europe, CLdN says the additional shipping capabilities will further enhance its ability to bring customers’ cargo to its end destination efficiently, reliably and with the lowest possible carbon footprint.
The new vessels will be dual-fuel capable, able to run on standard marine diesel or LNG, and will be built with space reserved for the future addition of larger electric shaft generators and batteries as the technology matures.
While fuel consumption per vessel is expected to be similar to that of CLdN's existing 5,000 lane-metre class ships, their increased cargo capacity is expected to deliver 30–40% better fuel efficiency per tonne-kilometre of cargo carried, making the vessels the most fuel-efficient Ro-Ro ships in the world.
Each vessel will also feature wide ramps with immediate access to top decks, enabling faster and more efficient loading and unloading of cargo — a design choice aimed at improving turnaround times in port and supporting the high-frequency sailing schedules of CLdN’s shortsea network.
“We are delighted to extend our partnership with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the construction of these two new vessels,” said CLdN chief executive Florent Maes. “The ships will expand the capacity of our existing fleet and will give us even greater flexibility to meet customer needs.
“The ships’ fuel efficiency will further reinforce CLdN's position as the operator with the lowest carbon footprint compared to all Ro-Ro competitors.”
