G2 Ocean, the open hatch bulk carrier operator jointly owned by Gearbulk and Grieg Maritime Group, has announced plans to add six new open hatch gantry crane vessels to its pool from 2029, alongside wind-assisted propulsion upgrades to existing tonnage.

The six new vessels, each with a deadweight capacity of 65,400 tonnes, will be built at New Dayang Shipbuilding Co. in Yangzhou, China. Each ship will feature eight open hatch cargo holds with no overhangs, a total cargo capacity of approximately 79,400 cbm, two gantry cranes, and tween decks to enable mixed cargo intake.

The vessels are described as future-fuel ready, with the ability to accommodate alternative fuels such as ammonia or methanol.

Two of the six vessels will be owned by Grieg Maritime Group, while four will be owned by Seaspan and chartered to Gearbulk on bareboat terms.

According to G2 Ocean, the new vessels are intended to bridge a gap in the company's fleet between its larger 72,000-deadweight-tonne (dwt) gantry vessels and smaller ships in the 36,000–55,000 dwt range, offering customers a broader selection of gantry vessel sizes.

The announcement comes alongside a separate newbuilding programme under which G2 Ocean is taking delivery of 10 vessels, each with a deadweight of 82,300 tonnes, between 2026 and 2029. The first of these, Star Norge, was delivered in January 2026.

Arthur English, chief executive officer at G2 Ocean, commented: "Through investments in both newbuildings and our existing fleet, G2 Ocean is strengthening its long-term service offering, providing cargo owners with safe, flexible, reliable and sustainable cargo solutions."

Jet sails on Star Kirkenes

In addition to the newbuilding activity, G2 Ocean and its pool participants are investing in retrofits to the existing fleet. The 49,924-dwt general cargo vessel Star Kirkenes is to be equipped with AirWing 20 jet sails — a wind-assisted propulsion system — with installation scheduled for late 2026 or early 2027. The company says the technology has the potential to be extended to other vessels within the fleet.

English noted: "The jet sails are designed to harness wind power and reduce fuel consumption, contributing to lower emissions for both G2 Ocean and its customers."

G2 Ocean stated that the jet sails will not interfere with cargo operations or capacity.

Kristian Jebsen, chairman of Gearbulk and G2 Ocean, remarked: "This investment demonstrates our continued commitment to renewing our fleet, supporting our customers and strengthening our operational platform while ensuring that we remain competitive for the long term."

Matthew Duke, chief executive officer at Grieg Maritime Group, said: "The open hatch business is the core of our long-term strategy. We are happy to be able to support G2 Ocean in remaining a high-quality, flexible and efficient service provider through this investment."