Chartworld Shipping, a Greek shipping company controlled by the Kollakis family, is pushing forward with plans to build up to 12 new feeder container vessels, marking its renewed entry into the container ship market, according to Greek media reports.
Shipbroking and market sources indicate that Chartworld has recently signed a letter of intent with Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding (hereinafter referred to as “Guoyu Shipbuilding”) for the construction of up to eight 3,100 TEU feeder container vessels.
Together with the two 3,100TEU feeder container vessels ordered from New Dayang Shipbuilding in July this year, Chartworld’s fleet of similar feeder container vessels has grown to 12. Chartworld has maintained a long-standing partnership with New Dayang Shipbuilding, having collaborated earlier this year on the delivery of two Crown 63 PLUS bulk carriers.
Previous reports indicate that Chartworld had initially negotiated with Chinese shipbuilders including Hengli Heavy Industries and Taizhou Sanfu Shipbuilding, but failed to reach a final agreement. Chartworld subsequently engaged in discussions with New Dayang Shipbuilding and signed a contract. The options for vessels from New Dayang Shipbuilding and Guoyu Shipbuilding will depend on the finalization of the vessel charter agreements.
Chartworld’s last order for container vessel sector was placed in 2021, four years ago, when it commissioned Chinese shipbuilder New Times Shipbuilding to build four 13,000 TEU container vessels. Chartworld subsequently resold two of the vessels to German liner giant Hapag-Lloyd, while the remaining two were placed on long-term charters with Hapag-Lloyd. The two vessels that have not yet been resold have been completed and delivered.
This order for up to 12 new container ships marks its renewed entry into the container shipping market. Shipping databases indicate that Chartworld’s current fleet exceeds 50 vessels, encompassing bulk carriers, tankers, container ships, and refrigerated cargo vessels.
Guoyu Shipbuilding, which signed the shipbuilding letter of intent this time, is a reopened shipyard. Since July 2024, it has completed its restructuring led by DCL Investments, marking DCL Investments’s official acquisition of controlling stake in Guoyu Shipyard.
Following the completion of its bankruptcy reorganization, Guoyu Shipbuilding has rapidly restored its production capacity and market competitiveness. It successfully ranked among the top 30 global shipbuilders in new orders secured during the first half of 2025, with its order backlog exceeding 700,000 compensated gross tonnage (CGT), placing it 13th globally. In May 2025, Guoyu Shipbuilding launched the 50,000 DWT oil and chemical tanker “MC GAEA” in a record-breaking 7.5 months.
Public information shows that Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding was established in June 18, 2005, originally belongs to Wuhan Guoyu Logistics Industry Group subordinate holding subsidiary, with a registered capital of 600 million yuan.
The shipyard is located in Yizheng Economic Development Zone of Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, covering an area of about 1,848 mu, with a perennial water depth of more than 13 meters and good water conditions; it has two 50,000-ton slipways, one 70,000-ton slipway and one 100,000-ton slipway, with a maximum lifting capacity of 800 tons; The outfitting wharves on the east and west coasts can berth 50,000-ton ships and outfitting operations for ships of up to 300,000 tons respectively. It can build all kinds of ships such as cargo ships, oil tankers and chemical tankers of 100,000 tons and below, with an annual production capacity of up to 2 million tons.