According to news from CSSC (China State Shipbuilding Corporation), on August 15, the signing ceremony for the construction contract of 9,000 TEU container ships between CSSC and Seaspan Corporation was held at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of CSSC.
In his speech, CSSC Chairman Xu Peng noted that Seaspan, the world’s largest independent containership leasing company and a significant influence in the global shipping industry, has established and maintained a strong cooperative relationship with CSSC. Since 2021, the two parties have worked together through a “technical collaboration + industrial collaboration” model to create a model of cooperation within the international shipbuilding and shipping industry chain, achieving fruitful results.
Xu Peng stated that CSSC is willing to take this signing as an opportunity to further deepen its cooperation with Seaspan in areas such as new ship development, operation and maintenance of in-service ships, technical function upgrades, ship leasing financing, promotion of RMB settlement, and establishment of international service outlets, so as to jointly contribute to the sustainable and healthy development of the industry.
The 9,000 TEU container ships contracted by both parties is a highly reliable and cost-effective ship type customized by CSSC for Seaspan. The ship adopts a mature hull design and is equipped with an efficient propulsion system. It also features a refined compartment layout, ensuring stable and safe navigation while maximizing cargo space.
The signed project adopts cross-border RMB settlement, and ICBC Financial Leasing provides financing services. It is a model of the integrated development of “Made in China + Chinese Finance” in the global shipping and shipbuilding field, creating a new model for international ship transactions and contributing to the construction of a strong financial and manufacturing country.
On May 19, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding announced that it had successfully signed a letter of intent with Seaspan for the bulk production of 8,300 TEU container ships. This type of ship is the latest generation of medium-sized container ships developed by Hudong-Zhonghua, which can handle both feeder and ocean-going shipping tasks and features green, energy-efficient, safe and high-efficiency characteristics.
Industry sources indicate that Seaspan has an intention to order six 8,300 TEU ships, all designed to be methanol-ready, with COSCO Shipping Lines as the charterer. The order will be settled in RMB, with each vessel costing over 700 million RMB.