Wan Hai goes to China and Japan for feeder boxships

Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines is thought to be splitting an estimated $364m order for Bangkokmax containership newbuildings between two Far East shipyards.

The shipbuilding market has been buzzing with talk this week that the Taiwanese liner company is contracting Japan Marine United (JMU) and Chinese state-owned Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding to build a series of 1,900-teu feeder containerships with delivery from 2020.

JMU is believed to have won an order to construct six firm vessels plus two options, while China State Shipbuilding Corp-controlled Huangpu Wenchong will build four firm ships plus two options.

A Wan Hai spokesman said the company was still studying the containership newbuilding project and a final decision had not been made.

“Once it is finalised, we will make the announcement,” he said.

Officials at Huangpu Wenchong were not available for comment, while JMU executives declined to talk, citing client confidentiality.

Wan Hai's plan to order the 1,900-teu Bangkokmax vessels was first reported in TradeWinds in June. At that time, the company was said to be looking for 12 to 16 ships, each with 250 reefer plugs.

Shipbuilding players say the newbuildings will be built to the old IMO Tier II emissions standards, and they believe the vessels are costing the company around $26m each.

However, Wan Hai’s interest in newbuildings is not stopping at just these vessels, TradeWinds understands.

Potential orders

The outfit is also looking to order eight to 12 units of 2,800 teu with 400 reefer plugs.

Wan Hai is said to be in talks with shipyards in China and Japan over the newbuildings, although discussions are still said to be at an early stage.

Last week, the shipbuilding market saw Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp splash out around $500m on a series of 2,800-teu vessels.

The Taiwanese liner operator signed up for 10 newbuildings at domestic shipyard CSBC Corp with delivery dates from the second quarter of 2020. The deal includes four options.

The IMO Tier II-compliant vessels were reported to be costing between $37m and $38m each.

Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest liner company, is also plotting to charter 38 feeder containership newbuildings — 14 vessels of 2,500 teu and 24 units of 1,800 teu.

One containership expert said there is strong demand for feeder boxship newbuildings as liner companies look to scrap old tonnage and replace them with new vessels that will meet modern international regulations, such as ballast water treatment requirements.