German shipowner Briese Schiffahrt has lifted its containership newbuilding programme in China by up to 10 ships worth more than $300m.
The Leer-based company has exercised options for two more 1,800-teu feeder vessels at Huanghai Shipbuilding, based in Shandong, in a deal worth around $52m.
The order comes on top of contracts placed earlier this year for eight similar vessels at two Chinese yards.
The latest duo join the four ships contracted in June at privately owned Huanghai.
The 1,800-teu quartet is of a standard Bangkokmax design and was booked for a reported price just below $26m each.
In addition, Briese has orders for four slightly larger containerships of 1,930 teu under construction at Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard, which were estimated to cost $23m per ship.
The series of 10 ships are scheduled for delivery in 2023 and 2024. They are presently worth around at $304m in total, according to VesselsValue estimates.
Fleet renewal
Briese managing director Wilke Briese confirmed to TradeWinds that the company has exercised the Huanghai options.
He has previously explained that the company was looking to order newbuildings as replacements for older containerships in its fleet.
The company is best known as an owner and operator of one of the largest multipurpose fleets.
But the company is beefing up its involvement in the containership sector.
It presently runs a fleet of 10 older boxships built between 2004 and 2010, including six 1,400-teu ships built between 2004 and 2008.
That is a result of the acquisitions of five smaller containerships in recent months, including the 1,732-teu Hansa Neuburg (built 2010) that was purchased in April for $11.8m.
Others are the 1,810-teu Mellum (ex-Kota Nelayan) and 1,577-teu Jan (both built 2010), and the 1,368-teu Julius (built 2009).
Multipurpose renewals
Briese has also been renewing vessels in its multipurpose fleet, which is operated by its subsidiary BBC Chartering.
In February, the company picked up five large MPP vessels from Pacific International Lines in an en-bloc deal estimated to be worth $39.5m.
Briese purchased the 25,000-dwt Kota Bagus (built 2013), Kota Bayu, Kota Bakti, Kota Bauy and Kota Bakat (built 2012) for around $7.9m each.
Briese has reportedly acquired from Danish interests the 17,909-dwt multipurpose vessel BBC Regalia (built 2012), which has capacity for 1,047 teu of containers.
