Hapag-Lloyd held a steel-cutting ceremony at Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipyard in China for London Express, the first vessel of what the German container shipping company describes as its new London Express class.

The ceremony was attended by Silke Lehmkoester, Managing Director, Fleet at Hapag-Lloyd, and Norbert Kray, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager, Greater China at classification society DNV.

London Express is scheduled to join Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet in September 2027 and will be the first of 12 LNG dual-fuel vessels in the class. According to Hapag-Lloyd, the vessels have been designed to combine operational efficiency and "greater flexibility on the journey toward lower-emission shipping".

Each vessel in the class will measure 366 metres in length and have a capacity of 16,800 TEU. The dual-fuel engine is capable of operating on LNG or conventional marine fuel. The vessels will also feature deck space for up to 1,000 40-foot reefer containers.

Hapag-Lloyd says the new class represents the next step in the modernisation of its fleet, with all 12 vessels set to be named after cities.