China’s CSSC Guangzhou Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding has landed orders for up to eight feeder containerships and two LPG carriers.
Chinese shipowner Tianjin Southwest Maritime has ordered the pair of LPG vessels, while Cyprus-based Green World has ordered the eight boxships, according to shipbuilding sources.
If all options are exercised, the deals are worth a combined $290m.
As part of its total order of around $232m, Green World has signed up for Huangpu Wenchong to build two 1,900-teu, plus options for two more. It is said to be paying close to $26m apiece for the ships.
The outfit has also booked a pair of 2,700-teu newbuildings, with options to construct another two. Those ships are said to be costing $32m.
They are gearless vessels and slated for delivery in 2023.
Little is known about Green World but some shipbuilding sources said the company an investment fund.
Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network database lists the outfit under the corporate umbrella of Cyprus-based Germany’s Schoeller Holdings, which is the parent of Columbia Shipmanagement.
Meanwhile, the sources said Guangzhou-based Tianjin Southwest has struck a deal with Huangpu Wenchong to build two 5,000-cbm LPG carriers for delivery in 2023.
The gas carriers, which will run on conventional fuel, are said to be costing the Chinese shipowner slightly less than $30m each, and the company plans to use the ships for trading in Asia.
The order by Tianjin Southwest — a relative newcomer to the LPG shipowning space — marks its second gas carriers contract with Huangpu Wenchong.
In 2019, the Chinese shipowner booked its first ever LPG carrier order when it hired the shipyard to build a 9,500-cbm multipurpose gas carrier.
That vessel, which can hold LNG, ethylene and LPG, is slated for delivery in October.
Huangpu Wenchong is one of the several shipyards under the umbrella of China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC).
Like most shipyards in the group, it has been busy booking in newbuildings since the end of last year.
Companies that have signed up newbuildings at the yard include intra-Asian liner operator TS Lines, which has placed four 1,900-teu boxships, and Germany’s Briese Schiffahrts, which booked four 1,930-teu vessels.
Officials at Huangpu Wenchong, Tianjin Southwest and Schoeller Holdings were unavailable for comment in relation to the latest order.
