Godby Shipping has placed an order for two Stream roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) 1700 vessels at Chinese shipbuilder CIMC Raffles, with options for a further two units.

The contract forms part of Godby Shipping’s plans to renew its fleet while meeting both current and future environmental requirements.

Each vessel will measure 125 metres in length with a beam of 24 metres and a trailer capacity of 1,700 lane metres. Cargo capacity is expected to be around 6,200 metric tonnes. The design includes one stern ramp and fixed ramps linking three cargo decks.

The ships will be capable of transporting trailers, cassettes, cars, other RoRo cargoes and forest products, as well as containers, reefer units and a range of dangerous goods.

Godby Shipping said the new vessels will offer between 70% and 100% more cargo capacity than its existing RoRo vessels Mimer and Midas, while maintaining similar fuel consumption levels. The company said fuel efficiency will be optimised through extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling alongside tank testing.

The Stream RoRo concept has been developed in collaboration with Hamburg-based Technolog Services GmbH, drawing on operational experience from Godby Shipping’s current and previous fleet.

The vessels will be fitted with shore power connections and battery systems to enable emission-free port stays and short sea operations. Battery capacity can be expanded in future and supplemented by additional zero-emission power generation technologies.

They will also be prepared for waste heat recovery systems and alternative fuels, including methanol.

Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2027 and November 2027, with launch planned for May 2028 and October 2028. Delivery is expected in September 2028 and January 2029.

Godby Shipping said the two ships will employ around 50 crew members and will be registered under the Finnish flag. Like the company’s existing RoRo fleet, the newbuildings will feature Finnish/Swedish ice class 1A.

CIMC Raffles operates three shipyards in Yantai, Longkou and Haiyang in China, specialising in vessels for the oil and gas industry, industrial fishing, renewable energy and ships including ro-ro and car carriers.

Technolog Services, based in Hamburg and Bremen, provides maritime consulting and ship design services covering shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, outfitting and project management.