Taiwanese shipping firm TS Lines has ordered four container ships suitable for methanol propulsion.

The order for four 5,300 TEU ships was placed with China‘s CSSC Huangpu Wenchong, as per a Hong Kong stock exchange filing earlier this month.

The total contract is worth $245.12 million, with each vessel costing $61.2 million.

These vessels are expected to be delivered between June and December 2028.

Ships with methanol-ready notation are built with provisions for future conversion to operate on methanol. However, actual operation on these fuels would require further retrofitting, either during construction or at a later stage.

The majority of vessels with similar notations have yet to undergo conversion, highlighting the industry’s phased approach to future fuel adoption.