Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s largest container ship owner, continues to demonstrate strong demand for ultra-large container vessels. Another major order exceeding $1 billion has been announced, with construction once again awarded to a Chinese shipyard.
According to shipbroking sources, MSC has placed an order with Zhoushan Changhong International for six 21,700 TEU LNG dual-fuel ultra-large container ships. With a unit price of approximately $225 million, the total value of the six vessels is estimated at around $1.35 billion, with delivery expected in June 2029.
This 21,700 TEU LNG dual-fuel vessel order marks the fourth new shipbuilding collaboration between Zhoushan Changhong International and MSC, following previous projects for 11,500 TEU, 10,300 TEU, and 19,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships. These vessels represent the largest and most advanced container ship type currently being built by Zhoushan Changhong International, as well as the largest class of container vessels under construction in Zhejiang Province.
Zhoushan Changhong International’s shipbuilding partnership with MSC began in late 2022 with a contract for ten 11,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships; the delivery of this series was successfully completed on April 9, 2026.
In August 2023, the two parties launched a second collaboration, signing a contract for ten 10,300 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vesselss valued at approximately $1.3 billion, with full delivery scheduled by 2027. As of September 17, 2026, six vessels in this series had already been successfully delivered. Notably, the most recently delivered vessel, “MSC Clelia X”, was handed over 324 days ahead of schedule, setting a new record for delivery efficiency for large LNG dual-fuel container ships at Zhoushan Changhong International.
In August 2024, MSC once again announced a shipbuilding partnership with Zhoushan Changhong International for 12 19,000-TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessels. This order is of great significance to Zhoushan Changhong International, marking the shipbuilder’s official entry into the construction of 20,000-TEU-class ultra-large dual-fuel container vessels. Construction of the first vessel in this series began on November 12, 2025, and four more vessels of the same type are currently under construction.
In February 2025, Zhoushan Changhong International and MSC launched their fourth joint project: a contract for the construction of the first batch of 4+2+2 21,700 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessels. In July of the same year, market reports indicated that MSC had placed an additional order for 1+1 21,700 TEU-class vessels with the shipbuilder.
To date, MSC has placed orders with Zhoushan Changhong International for more than 40 large container vessels (including options), ranging in capacity from 10,300 TEU to 21,700 TEU, with delivery dates extending as far as 2029, further solidifying Zhoushan Changhong International’s position as one of MSC’s largest global shipbuilding partners.
As a leading private shipbuilding enterprise in China, Zhoushan Changhong International was established in 2009 through an investment by the Jiangsu New Changjiang Group. It currently operates three major shipbuilding and repair industrial bases across Dinghai District, Putuo District, and Daishan County in Zhoushan City. The company is a large-scale enterprise integrating the entire industry chain—encompassing shipbuilding, ship repair, ship dismantling, and metal resource utilization. Its three bases cover a total area of over 6.5 million square meters, feature a combined coastline exceeding 20,000 meters, and possess an annual capacity of over 5 million deadweight tons (DWT) for shipbuilding and more than 500 vessels for ship repair.
MSC is the world’s largest liner shipping company, currently operating a fleet of over 1,000 owned and chartered vessels with a total capacity exceeding 7.3 million TEU; it has approximately 150 vessels on order. According to Clarksons data, the vast majority of MSC’s order book consists of large vessels of 10,000 TEU or more, almost all of which are being built by Chinese shipyards. Hengli Heavy Industries, Zhoushan Changhong International, Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry Co., Ltd(HT) , and Jinglu Shipyard are all constructing large container ships for MSC.