Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. has held naming ceremonies for its first two 15,500 TEU class LNG dual-fuel containerships, YM Willpower and YM Worthiness, marking a key milestone in the company’s fleet renewal and decarbonisation programme.
The ceremonies took place on 4 February at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan, where the vessels were constructed. Mrs. Yu-Fen Li, spouse of Taiwan’s Minister of Transportation and Communications, Shih-Kai Chen, served as godmother for the naming of the vessels.
Minister Chen attended the event on behalf of the ministry to witness the delivery of Yang Ming’s first LNG dual-fuel container ships. Senior representatives from Yang Ming’s joint venture partners, including Sebang Group, Arkas Holding, FINSEA S.p.A., and Catalana Del Mar, S.A., were also present.
The new vessels have a nominal capacity of approximately 15,600 TEU, with a length overall of 364.97 metres and a breadth of 51 metres. They are part of Yang Ming’s strategy to align with the net-zero by 2050 target and are equipped with high-pressure LNG dual-fuel main engines, enabling the use of LNG as the primary fuel.
Yang Ming said the LNG dual-fuel technology delivers an immediate reduction of around 20% in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional marine fuels.
The vessels’ engines and generators are fitted with exhaust gas after-treatment systems that comply with IMO Tier III NOx emission standards, helping to reduce marine and coastal air pollution. Additional energy-saving design features further enhance propulsion efficiency.
Both vessels are also equipped with integrated navigation systems, equipment monitoring, and broadband maritime satellite communications to support operational safety and data-driven vessel management. YM Willpower and YM Worthiness have received Smart Ship Notations from Bureau Veritas and Lloyd’s Register, respectively.
YM Willpower is scheduled to enter the MD2 service on 8 February, operating on a rotation covering Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Singapore, Tangier, Valencia, Barcelona, Genoa, La Spezia, Fos-sur-Mer, Singapore, and Pusan. Its sister vessel, YM Worthiness, is expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2026.
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