Six significant ship launches in 2019

Nearing the year end Seatrade Maritime News decided to a look at a number of the more groundbreaking vessels that have made their way on the world’s oceans in 2019.

Kairos - The world's largest LNG bunker tanker 

The 7,500 cu m capacity LNG bunker tanker Kairo - the world's largest was actually delivered by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in the latter part of 2018 but was not christened till February this year in Germany. The ice-class LNG bunker supply vessel was officially commissioned in Germany’s Hamburg port and christened by godmother Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, federal chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Read more: World’s largest LNG bunker tanker christened

Sleepnir - The world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessel

Vast in scale and capability the Sleepnir built at SembCorp Marine in Singapore for Heerema Marine Contractors debuted in May this year. Named after Norse God Odin’s eight-legged stallion the Sleepnir boasts a combined lifting capacity of 20,000 tonnes or the installation and decommissioning of offshore structures globally.

Read more: Heerema showcases world’s largest dual-fuel semi-submersible crane vessel

MSC Gülsün - the largest containership in the world

Title for the world's largest containership has changed hands frequently in recent years and in 2019 neared the 24,000 teu mark with the launch of the MSC Gülsün in August - the first in a series of  23,756 teu newbuidlings ordered by Geneva-headquartered MSC. Sisterships are already on the water regularly breaking records for being the largest containership to calls ports on the Asia - Europe trade.

Read more: MSC Isabella becomes largest containership to call in Singapore

CMA CGM Jacques Saade - the first LNG-powered mega-containership

September saw the launching of the first of CMA CGM's 23,000 teu LNG-powered containerships at Shanghai Jiangnan-Changxing Shipyard. The first of nine such vessels sees the French container making a major commitment to LNG as the marine fuel of the future. The vessels are being deployed on the Asia - North Europe trade.

Read more: CMA CGM launches first 23,000 teu LNG-powered containership

Suiso Frontier - the world's first oceangoing liquid hydrogen carrier

The Suiso Frontier - could this be the future of tanker shipping if hydrogen takes off as zero emission fuel? The Suiso Frontier was launched by Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries in December. Hydrogen produced from coal in Australia, liquefied at -253C, will be shipped to Japan on Suiso Frontier in technology demonstration. Although launched the vessel is not yet complete and installation of its hydrogen tank will take till late-2020.

Read more: Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy launches world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier

Jin Dou Yun 0 Hao - China's first autonomous cargo vessel

Certainly not the biggest vessel on our list the Jin Dou Yun 0 Hao launched in November would be easily missed. Developed by Yunzhou Tech, a Zhuhai-based technology company in collaboration with Zhuhai municipal government, Wuhan University of Technology and CCS it is China's first autonomous cargoship. Given China's rate of development in areas such 5G and AI it will be worth keeping an eye on this vessel and other similar developments.

Read more: China's first autonomous cargo ship makes maiden voyage