State-owned Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) recently launched an international tender for the construction of up to six LNG dual-fuel container vessels as part of its fleet renewal programme. The tender covers two firm orders with options for four additional vessels. Each ship will have a capacity of approximately 8,000 TEU and be capable of operating on LNG as well as conventional marine fuels. Both Indian and foreign shipyards are eligible to bid, subject to SCI’s technical and financial requirements. Foreign yards must have delivered at least two container vessels exceeding 5,000 TEU that have entered service within the past 10 years. Indian shipyards without prior containership construction experience must partner with a reputed foreign yard that has previously built LNG dual-fuel vessels, capable of running on LNG and Conventional fuel which are in service. According to the tender documents, SCI will evaluate bids based on factors including delivery and payment schedule of the vessel, bunker fuel consumption, service speed and cargo-carrying capacity. Bids for the tender must be submitted by 31 August at 1700 hours IST and a virtual pre-bid meeting will be held on 18 August at 1500 hours.   Photo credit: Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash Published: 6 August, 2026