Greek shipping company Chartworld Shipping, controlled by the Kollakis family, has ordered four 3,100 TEU feeder container vessels from Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Guoyu Shipbuilding”), according to shipbroker Bancosta. Each vessel is priced at $42 million, with the total order valued at approximately $168 million. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2028 and conclude by the end of that year.
Not long ago, market rumors circulated that Chartworld had signed a letter of intent with Guoyu Shipbuilding for the construction of up to eight 3,100 TEU feeder container vessels.
Notably, this marks Chartworld’s first container vessel order in four years. The previous order dates back to 2021, when Chartworld commissioned New Times Shipbuilding to construct four 13,000 TEU-class container vessels. Subsequently, Chartworld resold two of these vessels to Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd, while the other two were placed under long-term charter agreements with Hapag-Lloyd. The two vessels not yet resold have now been completed and delivered.
In addition to the order placed at Guoyu Shipbuilding, Chartworld had previously ordered 2+2 3,100 TEU feeder container vessels from New Dayang Shipyard in July. Chartworld and New Dayang Shipyard have a well-established relationship, having collaborated earlier this year on the delivery of two Crown 63 PLUS bulk carriers.
It is understood that Guoyu Shipbuilding is a reactivated shipbuilding facility. Following its restructuring led by DCL Investments in July 2024, DCL Investments has formally assumed controlling interest in Guoyu Shipyard. After completing bankruptcy reorganization, Guoyu Shipbuilding has rapidly restored its production capacity and market competitiveness. Its current order backlog exceeds 700,000 compensated gross tonnages (CGT), ranking 13th globally.
Shipping databases indicate that Chartworld’s current fleet exceeds 50 vessels, including bulk carriers, tankers, container vessels, and refrigerated vessels.