Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. (Yang Ming) has expanded its fleet with two new 15,500‑TEU LNG dual‑fuel containerships, marking a major step in the carrier's decarbonisation strategy as the vessels prepare to enter service on the Asia–Mediterranean route.
Yang Ming held naming ceremonies for the vessels — YM Willpower and YM Worthiness — on February 4 at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard.
The ships are the first in the company's new 15,500‑TEU LNG dual‑fuel series.
The new ships have a nominal capacity of about 15,600 TEU, with an LOA of 364.97 metres and a breadth of 51 metres. Built to support Yang Ming's net‑zero‑by‑2050 roadmap, the vessels are equipped with high‑pressure LNG dual‑fuel main engines that will primarily run on LNG.
Yang Ming said the technology reduces greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 20% compared with conventional marine fuels, making the company the first Taiwanese container line to operate LNG‑powered vessels.
The ships also feature exhaust‑gas after‑treatment systems that meet IMO Tier III NOx standards, along with multiple energy‑saving design elements to improve propulsion efficiency. Both vessels have received Smart Ship notations — YM Willpower from Bureau Veritas and YM Worthiness from Lloyd's Register — reflecting their advanced monitoring, integrated navigation, and data‑collection capabilities.
"These vessels are equipped with high‑pressure LNG dual‑fuel main engines and will primarily utilize LNG as fuel. Compared to conventional marine fuels, this technology immediately reduces greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20%, positioning Yang Ming as the first Taiwanese container carrier to operate vessels with LNG as an alternative fuel," the company said.
YM Willpower is scheduled to join the MD2 service on February 8, calling at Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Singapore, Tangier, Valencia, Barcelona, Genoa, La Spezia, Fos‑sur‑Mer, and back via Singapore to Pusan.
Sister vessel YM Worthiness is expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2026.
Yang Ming said the deployment of the new ships will boost capacity utilisation, strengthen competitiveness on long‑haul trades, and support its commitment to providing efficient, energy‑saving transport services.
Mrs. Yu‑Fen Li, spouse of Taiwan's Minister of Transportation and Communications Shih‑Kai Chen, served as godmother and performed the traditional cord‑cutting. Minister Chen attended on behalf of the ministry to witness the delivery of Yang Ming’s first LNG dual‑fuel containerships.
Executives 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, underscoring the vessels' importance to the carrier's regional service network and the broader maritime industry's green transition.
