More than 40 container ship newbuildings worth a combined total above $5.5bn are being discussed by some of the world’s largest liner companies as shipyards hold back berths for high-margin vessels and key clients.
Newbuilding sources have told TradeWinds about ongoing projects that span all sizes of boxships with mixed fuelling alternatives for names that include French liner company CMA CGM, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd, Evergreen Marine of Taiwan and Danish giant AP Moller-Maersk.
These come on top of the ongoing previously reported business for Taiwan’s Yang Ming Marine Transport and Ocean Network Express (ONE), plus a freshly confirmed order for Cosco Shipping.
At the feeder ship end of the scale, both CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd are chasing 4,000-teu methanol dual-fuelled vessels — the French company after 10 ships and its German rival six.
Brokers said the two companies are chasing berths at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for delivery dates from the second half of 2025 into 2026.
Moving up the scale, Maersk — which is due to take delivery of its first methanol dual-fuelled boxship in June — has an enquiry in the market for 10 vessels of between 7,000 teu and 8,000 teu.
Evergreen is said to be chasing slightly larger ships of 14,000 teu to 15,000 teu and is seeking offers on six units.
Brokers said Japan’s ONE is also continuing with its enquiry for up to 10 ships that are of similar size to Evergreen’s.
A long-standing tender by Yang Ming for five 15,000 teu to 16,000 teu LNG dual-fuel vessels is also said to be ongoing. TradeWinds reported in February that the company had slimmed its yard choice down to two — Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea and Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in China.
Shipbuilding watchers said a decision on the business is now expected in May.
In the last few days, it has emerged that Cosco Shipping Holdings has ordered four methanol dual-fuelled 16,000-teu ships at its affiliated yard in Yangzhou for delivery in the second half of 2025 and into 2026.
These vessels are understood to be priced at around $175m each.
Container ships, it seems, are also making political headlines.
CMA CGM is expected to ink its $1bn contract for six LNG dual-fuelled boxships with Jiangnan Shipyard during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China this week.
Newbuilding brokers appear unfazed by the continuing onslaught of boxship business.
One said that whereas in the last 20 years liner rivals have followed each other on ordering similar-sized vessels, now they are competing on taking the lead on minimising carbon emissions to meet their shippers’ net zero commitments to customers.
Shipyards are widely seen to be holding back berths for the biggest names such as Maersk and several of the other companies with ongoing enquiries, which is acting as something of a block for other sectors like tankers.
But one broker pointed out that with the cost of an ultra-large container ship at $215m and a VLCC at $130m, shipbuilders are content to target the higher-margin boxships.
He said that without the ongoing pile-up of boxship enquiries from cash-rich owners and the LNG sector, yards would likely have to drop their prices to fill slots.
