Shipping and transport operator DFDS has ordered a further two new freight ships, meaning the business will be operating four large ro-ro ships to freight service customers across the North Sea by 2020.

Last year DFDS signed a contract with the Chinese shipyard Jinling for the construction of two ro-ro ships which, with their 6,700 lane metre load capacity and space for 450 trailers, are DFDS’ biggest ever ships.

Today, DFDS has announced that another two of these large ships have been ordered for delivery by 2020.

“The ships form part of our new building programme that underpins our ability to deliver the transport capacity required by our customers and our continuous pursuit of efficiency improvements,” said Niels Smedegaard, chief executive of DFDS.

The ships, like their sister ships, are the first DFDS-owned vessels built according to the new IMO EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) regulations, which set significantly lower limits for energy consumption and emissions in relation to the ship’s capacity and engine power.

Overall, they will reduce energy consumption and emissions by more than 25 per cent per transported trailer compared to current standards.

“As the ships are also being built with a scrubber and equipped with a ballast water treatment system and a number of energy-enhancing initiatives, they represent a whole new generation of environmentally friendly ro-ro ships,” added Smedegaard.

The first two of the new ro-ro ships are expected to be delivered in early 2019, and the new ones in early 2020.

“The ships are equipped with a unique ramp system with three independent stern ramps and internal ramps on each side in the ships.

“This means that they can be loaded and unloaded in a very short time so they can offer the combination of greater efficiency and capacity that can support our customers’ growth in their trade across the North Sea and enable them to better service their customers,” Peder Gellert Pedersen, executive vice president and head of DFDS’ shipping network.

In addition to the four Jinling ships, the programme so far includes two ro-ro ships under construction in Flensburg.