China Merchants Group is expanding its greener inland fleet, with subsidiary Changhang Freight (Zhoushan) contracting two LNG-powered bulk carriers at a domestic shipyard.

The newbuildings will be constructed by Jiangxi New Jiangzhou Shipbuilding Heavy Industry, and will each measure about 20,000 dwt.

The vessels are designed as river-sea direct bulkers for Grade A navigation areas of the Yangtze River, allowing them to operate between inland waterways and coastal routes, the yard formerly known as Jiangzhou Union Shipbuilding said.

Each ship will be fitted with two 2,000-kW main engines and an LNG propulsion system. According to the project details, the fuel setup is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20% compared with conventional fuel oil, supporting China’s push to decarbonise shipping along the Yangtze corridor.

Changhang Freight, which operates a dry bulk fleet spanning handysize through to supramax vessels, is part of China Yangtze Shipping Group, the country’s largest inland shipping operator, which sits under the umbrella of China Merchants.