Danaos Corp has fixed a series of neopanamax container ships with Hapag-Lloyd in charter deals worth around $300m.
The New York-listed owner Greek owner forward-fixed six of its 8,258-teu vessels that are under construction at Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding in China for delivery in late 2026 and early 2027.
Rates are reported to be in the region of $45,000 per day for the three-year charters.
If confirmed, that would equate to charter revenues approaching $300m over the period.
The newbuildings are built in accordance with the latest International Maritime Organization Tier III emission standards and Energy Efficiency Design Index Phase III.
They form part of 14 newbuildings of between 6,014 teu and 8,258 teu that the company has ordered over the past two years.
Newbuilds coming
It has taken delivery of two newbuildings in the 14-ship series.
The 8,010-teu Catherine C (built 2024) was delivered from DH Shipbuilding in May. Three sisters (Greenland, Greenville and Greenfield) are coming later this year from the South Korean yard.
The second vessel, delivered in April, was the 7,165-teu Interasia Accelerate (built 2024), ahead of a sister ship scheduled for delivery from Dalian Shipbuilding in China later in the year.
A pair of 6,014-teu boxships is being built at Qingdao Yangfan Shipbuilding for handover later this year and early next year.
Chief executive John Coustas said in an earnings call at the end of May that Danaos had completed all necessary rechartering activity in excess of its internal forecasts.
He said the company has now secured multi-year chartering agreements for all of the 14 newbuildings.
It has added $423m to the contracted revenue backlog in the three months to the end of May through the arrangement of new charters for five container vessels and eight newbuildings.
“The renewed optimism in the market extends to the longer-term view of the charterers, who are making charter commitments on newbuilding vessels with deliveries scheduled from 2025 through the end of 2027,” Coustas said.
More container tonnage is being forward-fixed, given the lack of available tonnage in 2024.
