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By Alison Koo
Newbuilding orders this week were all for feeder and mid-sized ships – liner operators and tonnage providers showing their appetite for renewing their fleets with these sizes.
Regional carrier Interasia Lines has ordered six 2,900 teu conventionally fuelled ships from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding for delivery in 2028, and has options for two more.
The Taiwanese-owned company said: “This agreement marks Interasia’s first shipbuilding collaboration with [Yangzijiang], a significant milestone in the company’s fleet expansion strategy. This is a strong reflection of Interasia’s ambition to strengthen its position in the intra-Asia market and beyond”.
The newbuilding price was not disclosed, but is estimated to be $40m each.
Interasia operates 25 containerships ranging from 1,000 to 7,200 teu, of which 21 are owned, according to Alphaliner.
Singapore-based, German-owned tonnage provider Asiatic Lloyd has ordered two 7,000 teu ships at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), paying about $85m for eachm with delivery expected between late 2027 and early 2028. DSIC subsidiary CSSC Tianjin Shipbuilding will construct the vessels.
It is Asiatic Lloyd’s first containership order in three years, following an order for two ammonia-ready 7,100 teu vessels, also from DSIC, which were delivered last year.
Meanwhile, German owner Ernst Russ ended a decades-long absence from the newbuilding scene yesterday, announcing that ElbFeeder, its joint-venture with Icelandic liner Eimskip, had ordered 2,280 teu ships at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing).
Eimskip will take the vessels on 10-year charter after delivery in the second half of 2028, deploying the ships on its Reykjavik-Rotterdam route.
The newbuildings will be LNG- and methanol-ready and will expand the JBV’s fleet to nine, while options for two additional vessels are being negotiated.
Eimskip CEO Vilhelm Mar Thorsteinsson said: “We see great opportunities with the delivery of these new vessels, especially considering the ambitious plans to increase exports of fresh seafood and salmon.”
Finally, OVP Shipping, a Hong Kong-registered liner operator focusing on China-Russia and China-Red Sea/Middle East services, has made its vessel-owning debut with orders for two 4,350 teu ships at Taizhou Jiangxing Heavy Industry. The ships are to be delivered between late 2027 and early 2028, and there are options for two more.
The newbuilding price was not disclosed, but is estimated at around $50m, 20%-30% less than top-tier Chinese shipbuilders charge.
OVP, ranked 67th among liner operators, currently operates chartered box ships of between 1,000 and 2,500 teu.
MB Shipbrokers said a handful of newbuilding projects had progressed in South Korean and Chinese shipyards.
“In China, enquiries have remained concentrated on the feeder segment, particularly in the 2,800 to 4,300 teu range, though we see growing activity in the 5,000 to 8,000 teu bracket.”
The Danish brokerage continued: “Given the high activity level, we expect additional orders to be confirmed in the near term, with sustained demand for feeders and mid-size vessels alongside renewed momentum for larger tonnage.”
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