Recently, Huanghai Shipbuilding—a subsidiary of CSSC—has achieved significant success in the feeder container vessel market. Following the successive announcement of orders for up to 18 new vessels, the shipyard has once again garnered the favor of Greek shipowners, securing a bulk shipbuilding contract.
According to shipbroking and market sources, Greek shipowner Cosmoship Management has placed an order with Huanghai Shipbuilding for the construction of eight 1,800 TEU container vessels, with delivery expected between 2027 and 2028. The cost of the new vessels has not yet been disclosed; however, based on previous orders for 1,800 TEU container vessels secured by Huanghai Shipbuilding, the price per vessel is estimated to be around $30 million.
The eight new vessels recently disclosed by Cosmoship mark the third order for feeder container vessels announced by Huanghai Shipbuilding this week. Including two previous shipbuilding contracts, the shipyard has secured orders for a total of 22 firm vessels plus 4 option vessels across three distinct types: 13 vessels of 1,800 TEU, 7 vessels of 3,000 TEU, and 2+4 vessels of 2,800 TEU, with delivery schedules extending through 2029.
On March 17, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) announced that it had placed an order with Huanghai Shipbuilding in January 2026 for five 1,800 TEU and seven 3,000 TEU container vessels, with delivery scheduled for the period between 2028 and 2029. On the same day, Greece-based Euroseas announced that it had signed a contract with Huanghai Shipbuilding for two 2,800 TEU reefer container vessels, expected to be delivered in June and August 2028. This order includes options allowing Euroseas to place follow-up orders in the near term for up to four additional vessels of the same size, with the choice of either reefer or standard configurations.
Notably, the three series of container ship orders recently announced in succession by Huanghai Shipbuilding hold significant importance for the company. The 3,000 TEU container vessel project for HMM represents the largest-capacity container vessels currently under construction at Huanghai Shipbuilding. Prior to this, the largest container vessels undertaken by the shipyard were the 2,800 TEU reefer container vessels—comprising an order of 2+6 units—commissioned by the Dutch firm Seatrade. Including the initial batch of two 2,800 TEU reefer container vessels ordered by Euroseas, Huanghai Shipbuilding’s total order book for this specific vessel type has now grown to 4+6 units.
The 1,800 TEU container vessels—which constitute the largest share of this new batch of vessels—represent Huanghai Shipbuilding’s flagship type in the container vessel sector; excluding the 12 vessels most recently announced, the shipyard has already secured cumulative orders for approximately 70 such vessels.
Including the aforementioned 22+4 new vessels of three distinct types, Huanghai Shipbuilding has secured orders for a total of 24+4 new vessels for delivery in 2026—all of which are container vessels. The remaining two vessels are 2,700 TEU feeder vessels commissioned by SITC International Holdings, with their delivery scheduled for 2029.
According to information from its official website, Huanghai Shipbuilding was established in 1944. Covering an area of 930,000 square meters, the shipyard is capable of repairing and constructing high-tech, high-value-added vessels of up to 100,000 gross tons, with a total construction capacity of 800,000 deadweight tons. To date, the company has built and delivered 27 various types of ro-pax vessels, as well as over 100 multi-purpose vessels of different specifications.
Cosmoship currently operates a fleet comprising 33 vessels, including container ships and bulk carriers. Throughout 2025, the company was particularly active in the second-hand vessel market, adding approximately five vessels to its fleet.
Cosmoship last took delivery of a newly built container vessel in 2024 and has recently shifted its focus to Kamsarmax bulk carriers constructed at Chinese shipyards. In October of last year, reports emerged that Cosmoship had placed an order with Hengli Heavy Industries for two 82,000 DWT bulk carriers; these vessels are expected to be delivered in 2026, with the shipbuilding contracts having been signed in early 2025.
In 2025, the volume of orders for feeder container vessels witnessed significant growth—a momentum that has extended into 2026. For instance, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured an order from HMM for ten 2,800 TEU container vessels, valued at approximately $557 million.
According to BIMCO data, in 2025, the volume of orders for vessels ranging from 0 to 3,000 TEU and 3,000 to 6,000 TEU is projected to double year-on-year. Furthermore, according to the latest monthly report from Xclusiv Shipbrokers, as of early March, 31 feeder container vessels have been ordered for delivery in 2026; alongside handy-sized vessels, these rank among shipowners’ top choices for new shipbuilding projects in 2026.