Maersk has finally selected Hudong-Zhonghua to build a fleet of 12+12 LNG-dual-fuel container ships, each with a capacity of 24,000 TEU, according to TradeWinds. Hengli Heavy Industries, the runner-up bidder, was unfortunately not selected.
It is reported that the contract is valued at approximately $5.8 billion (approximately 38.6 billion RMB), with each vessel costing about $240 million. As of now, neither Maersk nor Hudong-Zhonghua has officially announced the order.
The broker noted that Hudong-Zhonghua’s key competitive advantage lies in its ability to offer earlier delivery dates; leveraging a new drydock set to begin operations, it can deliver as early as late 2029 through 2030.
Furthermore, Maersk tends to adopt a conservative approach and may be reluctant to entrust a large-scale, multi-batch order for new vessels entirely to a relatively young shipyard. Maersk had previously awarded a contract to Hengli Heavy Industries to build 20 19,000-TEU ultra-large container ships.
It is worth noting that this newbuilding project initially attracted bids from multiple Chinese and South Korean shipbuilders. After comparing the shipbuilding technologies and prices offered by these companies, Maersk ultimately narrowed down the list of candidates to Hudong-Zhonghua and Hengli Heavy Industries.
The finalization of this order means that all of Maersk’s newbuilding projects planned for this year—comprising up to 58 vessels with a total value exceeding $12 billion—have been awarded to Chinese shipyards. This further solidifies China’s dominant position in the global shipbuilding industry.
So far this year, all 34 LNG dual-fuel ultra-large container ships for which Maersk has confirmed orders have been awarded to Chinese shipbuilders: 20 19,000-TEU ultra-large container ships from Hengli Heavy Industries and 14 18,600-TEU ultra-large container ships from New Times Shipbuilding. These vessels are expected to be delivered in 2029 and 2030, with a total construction cost of nearly $6.6 billion.
Hudong-Zhonghua is one of the first companies in China to develop the capability to build large container ships in bulk. It possesses comprehensive experience in the independent design and construction of a full range of container ships—from ultra-large ocean-going vessels to small and medium-sized coastal vessels—and has delivered more than 100 container ships of various types to date.