Pacific International Lines (PIL) has named its two largest vessels to date—the 14,000 TEU Kota Eagle and Kota Emerald—during a ceremony at Jiangnan Shipyard in China. These LNG dual-fuel container ships are the first in PIL’s fleet to run on cleaner fuel and mark a significant milestone in the company's sustainability efforts.
“These highly efficient vessels, running on LNG from their maiden voyage, are a major milestone in our sustainability journey,” said Lars Kastrup, CEO of PIL. “They will contribute to reducing our carbon footprint as part of our strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”
The new vessels are the first two of four being built at Jiangnan Shipyard and come with GTT’s Mark III LNG containment system alongside energy-saving features, including improved hull coatings and variable frequency motors.
The vibrant red hulls of the Kota Eagle and Kota Emerald symbolize PIL’s recent brand refresh, moving away from its traditional black-hulled vessels. All future ships will follow this new color scheme.
“This is a very special moment as these vessels represent the first batch of newbuildings after our restructuring,” said S.S. Teo, Executive Chairman of PIL. “We are grateful to everyone who supported us during the challenging times.”
PIL, which restructured with support from Temasek Holdings in 2020, has 11 more LNG dual-fuel ships on order, including additional 14,000 TEU, 8,000 TEU, and 13,000 TEU vessels.
The Kota Eagle and Kota Emerald will be deployed on the Far East to Latin America route, strengthening PIL’s presence in West Coast Central and South America trade.