Blue Ocean Shipping, a Japanese joint venture established by Singapore-listed Indonesian shipping company Samudera Shipping and Japanese shipping company Imoto Corporation, has placed an order with Zhejiang Xinle Shipbuilding for one 696-TEU feeder container ship, which is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2028.
Records show that Blue Ocean Shipping was incorporated earlier this year, with Samudera Shipping and Imoto Corporation holding 51% and 49% stakes, respectively. The new shipowner initially acquired two container ships—the Sagami and the Hyogo—from Imoto Lines, and these joined the fleet in March.
The contract signed with Xinle Shipbuilding for one 696-TEU feeder container ship marks the first newbuild order placed by Blue Ocean Shipping since its inception; the ship will support the company’s expansion into Japan’s coastal and regional shipping markets.
This year, Xinle Shipbuilding also secured an order from Hong Kong shipowner Synelysia for 1,900 TEU container ships (structured as a firm order for four vessels, plus options for two more and another two). Designed by the CIMC Ocean Engineering Design & Research Institute, the vessel measures approximately 171.9 meters in length overall, with a beam of 28.4 meters and a depth of 14.6 meters.
According to available information, Xinle Shipbuilding is a shipyard with over 50 years of history. Its current facilities include one 50,000-ton class dry dock, one 30,000-ton class dry dock, two 10,000-ton class slipways, two 30,000-ton class outfitting quays (each 160 meters long), one 700-ton portal crane, two 200-ton gantry cranes, and two 100-ton portal cranes.