MSC’s Global Car Carriers lifts orderbook to 20

MSC-controlled Global Car Carriers has added another eight large LNG dual-fuel car carriers in China, taking its newbuilding programme to 20 ships worth more than $2bn. The former Gram Car Carriers has booked four additional 8,600 ceu PCTCs at China Merchants’ Weihai yard, two at Guangzhou Shipyard International and another two at Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding. The ships are due towards the end of the decade.The latest move takes GCC’s orderbook to 16 ships of 8,600 ceu and four of 7,000 ceu, all at Chinese yards and all equipped with LNG dual-fuel propulsion. 

Six of the larger vessels are already booked at China Merchants Jinling, with another six now listed at Weihai, two at GSI and two at Mawei. Weihai and GSI are also building the four 7,000 ceu ships. Deliveries across the wider programme stretch from 2028 through 2030

The expansion has accelerated since MSC took control of Oslo-listed Gram Car Carriers in 2024.Splash covered the Aponte family-controlled group’s NOK7.6bn, roughly $700m, takeover two years ago, a deal which brought one of the world’s largest independent PCTC tonnage providers under the MSC umbrella.

Gram was subsequently taken private and earlier this year changed its name to Global Car Carriers while retaining the GCC abbreviation.

The newbuild push has moved quickly. As recently as July, GCC’s disclosed programme stood at 12 vessels — eight 8,600 ceu ships and four 7,000 ceu units spread between Jinling, Weihai and GSI. The investment comes as car carrier contracting has roared back after slowing sharply last year.

Splash reported this summer that booming Chinese vehicle exports had effectively cleared the short-term PCTC market, with around 1m cars being exported in containers because of insufficient dedicated roro capacity. GCC has also been pruning older ships while it builds out the larger end of the fleet. In July, the company sold the 2,000 ceu VIKING OSLO and VIKING ODESSA to Polaris Autoliners for around $44m en bloc.

Source : splash 247g                Adis Ajdin