Bangkok-listed Thai shipping line Regional Container Lines (RCL) has added two Neo-panamax container vessels to its ongoing newbuilding expansion program.
According to its latest quarterly financial report, RCL has signed contracts for the construction of 12 container ships across three different vessel classes—comprising four 1,900 TEU, six 3,100 TEU, and two 9,200 TEU vessels. These new ships are scheduled to enter service progressively, starting from 2028.
These two 9,200 TEU vessels represent the latest shipbuilding contracts announced by RCL. With a price tag of approximately $106.5 million each—totaling $213 million for the pair—the vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2030 and 2031. The shipyard(s) tasked with their construction have not yet been disclosed.
Among these, four 1,900 TEU container vessels are being built by CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding; the contract was signed on August 21, with shipbrokers estimating the cost at approximately $32 million per vessel, and delivery scheduled between March and December 2028. Additionally, four of the six 3,100 TEU container vessels are also being constructed by Huangpu Wenchong—with the contract signed on September 24—while the shipyard(s) for the remaining two vessels have yet to be disclosed.
Including the four vessels ordered on September 24, RCL’s total orderbook for container ships under construction at Huangpu Wenchong—accumulated since the partnership began in 2024—has reached 16 vessels. This total comprises eight 4,488 TEU container vessels, four 1,900 TEU container vessels, and four 3,100 TEU container vessels.
Beyond its focus on small and medium-sized vessels, RCL is progressively shifting its newbuilding portfolio toward larger-capacity vessels. In addition to the newly announced pair of 9,200 TEU container vessels, the company has previously placed orders for two 11,000 TEU-class vessels with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and two 14,000 TEU-class vessels with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. These four vessels—priced at approximately $125 million and $150 million per unit, respectively—are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2028.
RCL is a long-established Asian liner company that provides liner and feeder shipping services across East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Its current fleet consists of over 30 container vessels.