Belgian shipping group @CMB.TECH has marked the naming of four newbuildings at CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding, bringing its ammonia fleet programme closer to wider commercial deployment. The ceremonies on 29 October 2026 covered three 210,000-dwt ammonia dual-fuel bulk carriers and one 319,000-dwt ammonia-ready very large crude carrier (VLCC). Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) will jointly own the three bulkers with CMB.TECH and plans to operate them under long-term charters, with deliveries scheduled in phases from early 2027.

The bulk carriers were named RURI MIRAI, RURI SEKAI and RURI HIKARI, while the VLCC received the name NERVII. Organised by Beihai Shipbuilding together with China Shipbuilding Trading, the events brought together representatives from the shipowners, financial institutions, classification societies and fuel supply partners involved in the vessels’ development.

Three bulkers backed by 12-year MOL charters

The three bulk carriers combine ammonia propulsion technology with an established commercial employment structure. Under the agreement announced by CMB.TECH in March 2025, the vessels will be jointly owned with MOL and chartered to the Japanese group for 12 years each. They were already on order at Beihai when that agreement was signed, making the latest naming ceremonies a further step in an existing construction and chartering programme.

MOL’s latest announcement gives each vessel a deadweight of approximately 209,800 tonnes, an overall length of 299.95 metres and a breadth of 50 metres. Each will carry two 3,000-cubic-metre ammonia fuel tanks, providing combined storage capacity of 6,000 cubic metres. These specifications place ammonia propulsion in the Newcastlemax segment, serving the long-distance transportation of major dry bulk commodities.

The partnership also extends into chemical shipping. The March 2025 agreement covered nine vessels in total, including six chemical tankers ordered at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou for employment with MOL Chemical Tankers. That programme comprises two ammonia-fitted vessels and four ammonia-ready ships, with delivery scheduled for 2028 and 2029.

Taken together, the arrangements show how CMB.TECH is linking investment in alternative-fuel vessels with long-term customer commitments. Joint ownership and extended charter periods give the bulk carrier project a commercial foundation while the partners develop operating experience with a new marine fuel.

Nervii follows an ammonia-ready route

The 319,000-dwt Nervii, identified by the shipyard as hull TK300K-5, represents a different stage of the transition. Its ammonia-ready designation provides for potential future conversion, while the three bulk carriers are being built with ammonia dual-fuel propulsion.

This distinction is central to understanding the four-ship ceremony. Ammonia-ready construction preserves a future fuel option; ammonia dual-fuel machinery enables the vessel to use ammonia as fuel. The two approaches therefore reflect different investment and deployment decisions within CMB.TECH’s fleet development programme.

According to Beihai, its cooperation with CMB.TECH dates back to 2021 and has grown to encompass 28 bulk carriers of the 210,000-dwt class and five 319,000-dwt ammonia-ready VLCCs. The bulk carrier programme spans ammonia-ready and ammonia dual-fuel configurations, illustrating the partners’ progression from preparing vessels for possible conversion to installing ammonia propulsion during construction.

From the first vessel to series construction

The naming ceremonies followed the delivery of Mineral Europa, Beihai’s first 210,000-dwt ammonia dual-fuel bulk carrier for CMB.TECH, on 9 October. CMB.TECH announced that day that the vessel had embarked on its maiden voyage to Australia, describing it as the world’s first ammonia-powered dry bulk vessel. Xinde Maritime News

For Beihai, the follow-on vessels move the programme into repeat construction. The shipyard says its project teams spent three years addressing the integration of ammonia fuel systems, large Type C storage tanks, fuel supply equipment, emissions management and multiple layers of safety protection. Building successive ships creates opportunities to apply experience from the first vessel across installation, commissioning and testing.

The three MOL-associated bulkers also form part of a wider expansion across CMB.TECH’s businesses. In its 9 October announcement, the company outlined a delivery pipeline of 21 ammonia-powered vessels through 2029, comprising 18 dry bulk carriers, one containership and two chemical tankers. Most were expected within the following nine months, indicating a substantial increase in the fleet requiring ammonia fuel and operational support.

Connecting ship investment with fuel supply

Fuel supply preparations are already being tested alongside vessel deployment. On 13 October, Mineral Europa received 1,000 tonnes of green ammonia in a ship-to-ship bunkering operation at Zhoushan, supplied by Shenghang Yongle. The fuel originated from Energy China’s Songyuan project in Jilin province, with Jiangsu Andefu organising its transport, storage and delivery to the receiving vessel.

CMB.TECH’s involvement extends upstream through a green ammonia offtake agreement with CEEC Hydrogen Energy and a minority investment in Jiangsu Andefu Energy Technology. These arrangements connect the shipowner’s future fuel demand with production and distribution infrastructure, addressing a practical requirement for expanding ammonia-powered operations: reliable access to fuel beyond an initial demonstration voyage.

Operating procedures will develop alongside that infrastructure. MOL says it is working with internal and external partners to establish procedures and comprehensive safety measures for the three bulkers. Ammonia’s emissions performance also depends on how it is produced and used: renewable production, pilot-fuel consumption and control of non-CO₂ emissions all influence the eventual environmental result.

The next phase will bring the ships, charter arrangements and fuel supply network into operation together. As the three bulkers enter service from 2027, their voyages can provide a broader operating record covering fuel consumption, propulsion reliability, maintenance and repeat bunkering—the evidence needed to assess how ammonia performs across a growing commercial fleet.