Chinese shipbuilder Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group has won a contract to build two 24,000 TEU ultra large containerships, the world’s largest boxships and the largest containerships to be built by the yard.
The ships, being built for an unnamed owner, will feature optimized hull designs, high-efficiency propellers and energy-saving technology. They will meet the EEDI Phase III requirements.
The ships will be fitted with hybrid scrubbers and will run on traditional fuels.
The order came as part of a flurry of year-end activity for the shipyard, which is the largest non-government Chinese shipbuilder.
The contract to build two of the ultra large containerships represents a major step up for the yard, which has recently been building ships with a capacity between 10,000 and 14,000 TEU.
Yangzijiang offered no additional details on the ultra large containerships except to say that they would have a loading capacity equivalent to 24,232 TEUs.
The contract is being announced on the back of a major deal being reported by Chinese media outlets.
Read More: China: World’s Largest Shipbuilder Established
Specifically, the Chinese Bank of Communications Financial Leasing has reportedly ordered four 24,000 TEU ULCVs from China Shipbuilding Trading Co.
Two units from the series will be built by Hudong Zhonghua, while the remaining two will be built by Jiangnan Shipyard.
Rumour has it that all six ships will be chartered by MSC.
China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s Hudong-Zhonghua and Jiangnan Shipyard already have extensive experience in building complex containerships, having launched delivery of the world’s largest LNG-powered boxships to CMA CGM earlier this year- starting with the 23,000 TEU CMA CGM Jacques Saade in September.
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French container shipping major CMA CGM has taken delivery of four 23,000 TEU ultra large containerships of the total of nine ULCVs ordered back in 2017.
