Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) has secured a major newbuilding contract worth approximately $1bn for ten LNG dual-fuel Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs), further strengthening the Chinese shipyard’s position in the increasingly competitive car carrier market.
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) announced that GSI had signed the firm construction agreement with an established international shipowner. The buyer has not been identified.
The ten vessels, each designed to carry 8,200 vehicles, are scheduled for sequential delivery between 2029 and 2031. The contract extends GSI’s PCTC production and delivery programme through 2031, giving the shipyard a substantial level of long-term visibility.
All ten ships will feature LNG dual-fuel propulsion systems. The technology will allow the vessels to switch between LNG and conventional marine fuel, providing greater operational flexibility depending on fuel availability, bunkering conditions and trading requirements.
The contract also reinforces GSI’s growing presence in the high-end, environmentally focused PCTC newbuilding segment. The shipyard has delivered several series of LNG dual-fuel car carriers in recent years, covering capacities of 7,000, 8,600 and 10,800 vehicles.
Those vessels have been built for major international shipowners including SFL, H-Line, HMM and Seaspan.
GSI’s PCTC orderbook had already surpassed 40 vessels by the end of June. Of these, 14 are high-capacity dual-fuel ships designed to carry up to 10,800 vehicles.
The latest contract comes as global demand for new PCTCs continues to accelerate, driven in large part by the rapid expansion of China’s automotive exports.
Figures from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that Chinese manufacturers exported 6.14 million vehicles between January and July 2026. That represented a 66.8% year-on-year increase, highlighting the scale of the export growth supporting demand for specialised vehicle carriers.
The sustained expansion of China’s automotive exports is therefore providing a significant boost to the PCTC newbuilding market, while orders for LNG dual-fuel vessels are allowing shipyards such as GSI to target growing demand for more fuel-flexible and environmentally focused tonnage.
