News / HMM jumps onto feeder vessel commissioning bonanza

Credit HMM

Feeder ships continue to be in focus for newbuilding orders, led by HMM, which this week commissioned 10 2,800 teu ships at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, for $550m.

Delivery of the half-a-billion-dollars order is  expected in late 2028, with the South Korean flagship carrier’s 2025 annual report also disclosing that in December 2025 it contracted a dozen vessels at Huanghai Shipbuilding, comprising five 1,900 teu vessels and seven 2,900 teu vessels.

HMM’s confirmed container ship newbuilding pipeline now stands at 48 ships of around 279,000 teu, according to Alphaliner. These include a dozen LNG dual-fuelled 13,000 teu and two methanol dual-fuelled units of 8,500 teu, all from South Korean yards.

Also turning to Huanghai is Greek tonnage provider Euroseas, which this week disclosed orders for two 2,800 teu ships with more than 1,000 reefer plugs. The order comes with options for four more similar vessels. The firm orders would be delivered by August 2028.

The Aristides Pittas-controlled Euroseas said in its announcement that it foresees growing reefer volumes, saying the newbuildings are “optimised for high-reefer density trades and provide increased capacity for refrigerated cargo”.

Mr Pittas said: “With the outlook of the global refrigerated container shipping market remaining quite positive, and the limited availability of modern vessels with significant reefer capacity, we believe that this measured diversification into the specialised high-reefer segment creates an attractive opportunity within this niche market.”

Also, last week, according to Alphaliner, mid-tier Chinese ship builder Fujian Guoan Shipbuilding received orders for four feeder vessels with an undisclosed Indonesian customer.

The owner’s identity has not been disclosed, but one of the domestic inter-island and regional international operators, Salam Pacific Indonesia Lines, Samudera Shipping, Temas Line, or Meratus Line, is likely behind the orders.

Operators and tonnage providers have been turning their attention to feeder ships due to the aging profile of the existing fleet and positive growth in regional trades.

MB Shipbrokers remarked: “While contracting of larger container vessels remains somewhat restrained, partly reflecting ongoing geopolitical tensions, we do still see underlying appetite from buyers, especially for feeder and mid-sized tonnage.”