Sallaum Lines’ newbuild ro-ro vessel MV Ocean Navigator has completed its sea trial at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China, with the company saying the vessel is now in its final phase ahead of a planned delivery in the first week of August.

"This milestone represents another step forward in our long-term fleet development strategy, strengthening our ability to deliver dependable, high-performance RoRo solutions while continuing to raise the benchmark for operational excellence," the Cyprus-headquartered car carrier operator said in an online post.

As previously reported, MV Ocean Navigator was one of two pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) — together with MV Ocean Express — delivered to Sallaum Lines in a simultaneous handover ceremony in Nanjing, China, on 5 June. Both PCTCs are powered by LNG dual-fuel propulsion systems and have LNG fuel storage capacity built to the Ocean Class standard.

The newbuilds join MV Ocean Breeze, MV Ocean Explorer and MV Ocean Legacy in the Ocean Class fleet. The class has optimised hull forms, advanced automation systems and adaptable cargo configurations.

MV Ocean Navigator is due to enter commercial service immediately after delivery next month.

Sallaum Lines specialises in ro-ro transport for automobiles, trucks, heavy equipment and project cargo, with operations covering Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.