Greek shipping giant Danaos has placed an order with China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding for two 5,300 TEU container vessels, with options for additional purchases, according to market sources.
Following its November order for six 1,800 TEU feeder vessels from Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co., Ltd (CIMC SOE), this latest order marks Danaos’ return to a vessel specification it is more familiar with. Prior to this, the U.S.-listed company had primarily focused on medium-to-large vessels ranging from 6,000 to 9,200 TEU.
According to Danaos’ latest Q3 2025 financial report, the company currently holds 23 new vessel orders with a total capacity of 153,350 TEU, the majority of which are under long-term charter agreements. Deliveries of these newbuildings will commence this year and continue through 2029. All new vessels incorporate the latest eco-friendly and energy-efficient designs and will comply with the most recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements.
In addition to newbuild orders, Danaos operates a fleet of 75 container vessels ranging in capacity from 2,200 TEU to 13,100 TEU, with a total capacity of 477,491 TEU. The company also operates in the dry bulk sector, owning 11 Capesize bulk carriers with a deadweight tonnage of 175,500 tons each.
As of November last year, Danaos had signed charter contracts totaling $4.1 billion (including newbuilds). The average remaining charter period for its container fleet stood at 4.3 years (calculated on a weighted basis of total contracted charter rates).
Entering 2026, Greek shipowners appear poised to launch a new wave of container ship orders. In addition to Danaos’ latest order, Greek-owned Costamare is reportedly in discussions with Chinese shipbuilders to order up to 12 9,200-TEU container vessels.