Shipbrokers and market sources revealed that Conbulk, the Greek shipping company under Dimitris Dalakouras, currently holds four confirmed 5,000 TEU container ships with Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding, expected to be delivered in the first half of 2028. The newbuildings are reportedly backed by time charter agreements with an unnamed major liner operator, with market speculation pointing to ZIM as the owner.
It is reported that Conbulk and Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding first collaborated in the shipbuilding sector in November 2025, when the two parties signed a contract for two 5,000 TEU container ships, with deliveries commencing from late 2027. Shortly thereafter, the shipowner exercised its option for two additional vessels.
According to shipbroker MB Shipbrokers, Conbulk has placed an additional order with Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding for two more 5,000 TEU container ships, bringing its total order to six. The two newest additions are expected to be delivered in the second half of 2028. The cost per vessel is approximately $55 million, bringing the total value of the six new vessels to $330 million.
Conbulk is one of the Greek shipowners actively expanding into the feeder and medium-sized container vessel newbuilding market in 2025. The company currently manages a fleet of 34 vessels, including 32 container ships and 2 bulk carriers, with its container fleet primarily consisting of feeder vessels.
Since 2026, Greek shipowners have shifted their investment focus in the container ship sector toward the medium-sized and large container ship markets. Reports indicate that Costamare, the Greek container shipping company led by Konstantinos Konstantakopoulos, is negotiating a large-scale shipbuilding project with Chinese shipyards, while Danaos has secured orders for two container ships at Chinese shipyards.
In its report, shipbrokers MB Shipbrokers noted: “Demand for new container ships remains strong across all segments, from feeder vessels to 18,000 TEU vessels. Demand for feeder and medium-sized container ships is primarily driven by non-operating owners, while projects of 10,000 TEU and above are almost entirely dominated by liner companies.”
For Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding, the continued favor from Greek shipowners serves as strong evidence of its accelerated recovery in shipbuilding capacity. In addition to Conbulk’s order, fellow Greek shipowner Chartworld Shipping has placed an order for four 3,100 TEU feeder container ships at the shipyard, while Super-Eco Tankers Management has also placed an order for 2+1+1 41,000 DWT oil/chemical tankers at the same facility.
Since 2026, Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding has publicly announced 9 new vessels, all of which are container ships. The remaining 5 ships are from Mediterranean Shipping Company (4 ships) and Qian Yuan Shipping Company (1 ship), all of which are 5000TEU class.
From 2026 to the present, Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding has publicly announced nine new vessels, all of which are container ships. The remaining five vessels are from Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) (four vessels) and Qianyuan Shipping (one vessel), all with a capacity of 5,000 TEU.
DCL Investments, a shipyard that resumed operations, was established in June 2005 and was originally a subsidiary of Wuhan Guoyu Logistics Industry Group. In 2021, DCL Investments entered bankruptcy liquidation. In 2024, DCL Investments led the completion of the restructuring of Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding. The shipyard’s current orders are concentrated on container ships and oil/chemical tankers.
Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding is located in Yizheng, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It boasts 2.2 kilometers of deep-water shoreline and a factory area of 1.13 million square meters. The facility is equipped with four slipways, a 1,400-meter outfitting pier, and other core infrastructure, with an annual shipbuilding capacity of 2 million deadweight tons. The shipyard focuses on shipbuilding, ship repair, and high-end equipment manufacturing, prioritizing the development of LNG-powered vessels and dual-fuel container ships. It also undertakes the construction of bulk carriers, tankers and specialized vessels.