Navios Maritime Partners, the Greek shipping company led by Angeliki Frangou, announced the acquisition of four new container vessels for $460 million, marking a new move by the company in the container ship newbuilding market.
Specifically, Navios Maritime Partners will acquire four 8,850 TEU container ships from an undisclosed third party at a price of $115 million per vessel.
This series of container ships incorporates methanol-ready design and is equipped with desulfurization systems. They come with a 5.2-year charter agreement valued at approximately $335 million, featuring a one-year extension option that could generate an additional $60 million in revenue. The new vessels are scheduled for delivery between late 2027 and early 2028.
Navios Maritime Partners recently announced plans to strengthen its tanker fleet by acquiring two newly built 115,000 DWT Aframax/LR2 tankers for $133 million. The vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2027.
Currently, Navios Maritime Partners operates a diversified fleet comprising 67 bulk carriers, 47 container vessels, and 57 tankers. Its order book includes 26 newbuildings: 18 tankers scheduled for delivery by 2028 and 8 container vessels—4 7,900 TEU-class vessels expected to be delivered in 2027, plus 4 newly acquired 8,850 TEU-class vessels.
Although Navios Maritime Partners has not yet disclosed the seller, shipyard and charterer of this transaction, shipbuilding industry sources have previously linked it to a similar order for four vessels from HJ Heavy Industries.
On September 9, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (formerly HANJIN Heavy Industries & Construction) announced the signing of a contract with an Oceania shipping company for the construction of four 8,850 TEU eco-friendly container ships, with a total value of approximately $460 million.
The shipbuilder stated that all four new vessels will be equipped with desulfurization systems and incorporate methanol-ready designs, enabling future use of methanol as propulsion fuel to facilitate the transition to carbon-neutral shipping.
Based on details such as the newbuild cost, vessel specifications, and propulsion systems, the four newbuilds for Navios Maritime Partners are highly likely to be constructed by HJ Shipbuilding & Construction.