Following announcements by major European shipping companies that they have finalized bulk container ship orders with Chinese shipyards, another overseas shipowner has stated that it is related to an order with a Chinese shipyard.
Greek media reports indicate that Conbulk, a Greek shipping company owned by Dimitris Dalakouras, has secured construction slots for medium-sized container vessels at a Chinese shipyard that has resumed operations. The shipowner had previously been active in the second-hand vessel market.
Shipbrokers and market sources revealed that Conbulk has placed an order with Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding for two 5,000 TEU container ships, with deliveries expected to commence by the end of 2027.
Conbulk currently manages 34 vessels, primarily feeder container ships and 2 bulk carriers. In recent years, the company has been active in the secondhand market to gradually expand its fleet. Equasis data shows that its latest acquisition is the 3,500 TEU container ship “Adelie P,” built in 2007, which joined the fleet this summer.
Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding is a shipyard that has resumed production. Since the restructuring led by DCL Investments was completed in July 2024, DCL Investments has officially taken control of Guoyu Shipbuilding. After the bankruptcy restructuring, Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding’s production capacity and market competitiveness have been restored, and its current order backlog exceeds 700,000 compensated gross tons.
It is worth noting that although Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding’s orders since resuming operations have primarily come from domestic shipowners, the company has also repeatedly secured orders from overseas shipowners, demonstrating strong international market competitiveness.
According to analysis by shipbroker MB Shipbrokers, newbuild activity for container vessels in the 1,800 TEU to 6,000 TEU range remains robust, with most new vessel projects being placed at Chinese shipyards. For instance, German liner giant Hapag-Lloyd announced it is finalizing orders for two series of container vessels totaling 24 vessels with two Chinese shipyards. These orders involve vessels of 3,500 TEU and 4,500 TEU specifications respectively.
In the field of large container vessels, Maersk has selected New Times Shipbuilding to construct 8+4 18,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel powered large container vessels, with a total value of approximately $2.3 billion. Maersk had previously solicited quotations from several major Chinese and South Korean shipyards. After months of negotiations, it ultimately favored New Times Shipbuilding for the construction contract.
According to incomplete statistics, Chinese shipyards secured orders for dozens of small and medium-sized container vessels in October alone. Multiple shipbuilders, including Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, Zhoushan Changhong International Shipbuilding, and Hengli Heavy Industries, all secured new contracts.
Shipbrokers noted that despite a slight correction in prices for large-tonnage vessels, strong demand for feeder and medium-sized container vessels continues to support stable vessel prices this year.
MB Shipbrokers further noted that robust demand in the feeder container vessel market has also drawn non-traditional container shipbuilders into the fray. These “new” shipbuilders are competing with quotes below those of established shipbuilders, striving to gain a foothold in the market.