MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), the world’s largest shipowner and a company helmed by the Aponte family, has once again placed a major newbuild order for container ships with a Chinese shipyard; reports indicate it has ordered up to 20 ultra-large dual-fuel container ships from Hengli Heavy Industries, a leading private Chinese shipbuilder.
According to shipbroker MB Shipbrokers, MSC has reached an agreement with Hengli Heavy Industries to build up to twenty 20,000 TEU-class LNG dual-fuel container ships. The order includes option vessels and deliveries are expected to commence in the first half of 2029. While the deal has been confirmed by multiple shipbrokers and market sources, MSC has not yet issued a comment.
If confirmed, this would mark MSC’s largest large-scale container ship construction contract finalized for 2026 and serve as a landmark deal signifying an upgraded partnership between the shipowner and Hengli Heavy Industries.
Clarkson data shows that MSC and Hengli Heavy Industry began their partnership in 2024, signing contracts for the construction of multiple container ships ranging from 21,000 TEU to 24,000 TEU, with delivery scheduled between 2027 and 2029. Including the most recently reported order for up to 20 additional vessels, MSC has placed orders with Hengli Heavy Industry for approximately 50 large container ships.
Public records indicate that in September 2024, MSC ordered ten 21,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships from Hengli Heavy Industries—marking the shipbuilder’s first firm order for complete container ships and its first order for dual-fuel vessels. In December, the two parties signed a contract for another ten 24,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships. In 2025, MSC continued to expand its order book with Hengli Heavy Industries, signing contracts for a total of eight 22,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships.
In addition to the major order placed with Hengli Heavy Industries, reports from early in the year indicated that MSC also placed a follow-up order with Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu Ship Industry Co., Ltd. (Jinglu Shipyard) for eight 11,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships, bringing its total order for this vessel type at the yard to 16; furthermore, it ordered four 5,000 TEU container ships from Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding, marking MSC’s first order for mid-sized container ships since 2023.
Amid the announcement of the container ship order placed with Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding, market rumors suggested that MSC was shifting its shipbuilding focus from ultra-large container ships to mid-sized ones; however, current indications show that ultra-large container ship projects remain a priority for the company.
Beyond container shipping, MSC has aggressively expanded into the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) market through a shareholding in the established South Korean owner Sinokor Merchant Marine, rapidly emerging as a leading player in the tanker segment.
Founded by Gianluigi Aponte in 1970, MSC is the world’s largest container shipping company and shipowner, currently operating a fleet of 1,000 vessels. The company is now being handed over to Gianluigi Aponte’s son, Diego Aponte, and daughter, Alexa Aponte, with the equity transfer scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2025.
On the shipyard front, Hengli Heavy Industries has delivered an outstanding performance in the new shipbuilding market this year. As of mid-June, the company had secured orders for approximately 170 new vessels—far surpassing its full-year 2025 record of 115 orders—bringing its total orderbook to over 330 ships with delivery schedules extending through 2030.
To boost shipbuilding efficiency amidst this growing orderbook, Hengli Heavy Industries is advancing three major capacity expansion projects involving a total investment of RMB 13.5 billion. Upon completion, the company will possess 22 shipbuilding berths, enabling the simultaneous construction of 10 vessels under 200,000 deadweight tons (DWT) and 12 vessels exceeding 200,000 DWT.
According to forecasts by shipbroker Simpson Spence Young (SSY), Hengli Heavy Industries will see a significant ramp-up in production capacity starting in the second half of 2026; projected delivery volumes stand at 80 vessels for 2026, 120 for 2027, and 160 for 2028.