Maersk officially announced an order for 26 new ships, putting an end to market speculation about the company’s major fleet expansion plan.
On September 18, a Maersk spokesperson announced that the company had officially finalized an order for 26 18,600-TEU LNG dual-fuel large container ships, with delivery scheduled for 2029 and 2030.
While Maersk has not disclosed specific order details, sources indicate that the vessels will be built jointly by Hengli Heavy Industries and New Times Shipbuilding. Hengli Heavy Industries has secured the contract for 20 vessels—with options for an additional 12—while New Times Shipbuilding will build six. This marks the first collaboration between Maersk and Hengli Heavy Industries.
Shipbrokers estimate the total value of the 26 new vessels at approximately US$5 billion (approx. 33.5 billion RMB at current exchange rates). The unit cost for the vessels built by Hengli Heavy Industries is estimated to range between US$193 million and US$195 million, while the price per vessel from New Times Shipbuilding is approximately US$193 million.
Based on Alphaliner data, Maersk currently operates 753 vessels with a total capacity of approximately 4.75 million TEU, and an additional 93 vessels with a combined capacity of 1.2 million TEU are under construction; the company’s market share is close to 14 percent. The 26 new vessels finalized in this deal will expand Maersk’s capacity by 483,600 TEU.
It is reported that Maersk is planning to build 42 LNG dual-fuel container ships, with the total value of the orders estimated at US$8.9 billion. According to the latest reports, 26 of these vessels have been confirmed as 18,600 TEU-class vessels.
In February of this year, Maersk signed a contract with New Times Shipbuilding for the construction of 8+6 18,600-TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships, scheduled for delivery in 2029 and 2030. According to Maersk’s latest statement, the option for 6 additional vessels has been exercised, bringing the total value of the 14 new vessels to approximately US$2.7 billion.
Maersk stated that this type of 18,600 TEU container ship is 366 meters long and 58.6 meters wide; its dimensions are more compact than those of 400-meter-class container ships, and it will be equipped with an LNG dual-fuel engine.
This batch of new vessels is a key component of Maersk’s ongoing fleet renewal plan, helping the company maintain the competitiveness of its fleet. Designed to the same specifications, the new vessels will form a new series of 18,600-TEU-class vessels.
In recent months, the world’s three largest container shipping companies have been highly active in the sector of large newbuild vessels, with a particular focus on ultra-large container ships.
In June of this year, MSC signed a contract with Hengli Heavy Industries for the construction of 10 20,000-TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships. The order includes 10 optional vessels, with deliveries expected to begin in the first half of 2029.
According to recent market reports, CMA CGM has signed a letter of intent with Yangzijiang Shipbuilding for 12 ultra-large container ships of the 24,000 TEU class; neither the delivery schedule nor the contract value has been disclosed.
Shipbroker MB Shipbrokers reports that demand for new container ships remains strong across nearly all ship size segments, with shipyard schedules gradually extending into 2030; it is expected that competition for slots with earlier delivery dates will remain intense in the coming weeks.
According to shipbroker MB Shipbrokers, demand for newbuild container ships remains robust across almost all vessel segments, with shipyard delivery schedules now extending into 2030. Intense competition for early delivery slots is expected to continue over the coming weeks.