On October 21, CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited, under China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), jointly with China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd., officially signed a shipbuilding contract with Ningbo Ocean Shipping Co., Ltd. for the construction of four 2700TEU container ships.
Tao Chengbo, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Zhejiang Seaport Group and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group, and Chairman of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd., along with Luo Bing, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Xu Yiping, Vice President of Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) under CSSC, and other relevant leaders witnessed the signing ceremony. Chen Xiaofeng, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Ningbo Ocean Shipping, Han Jianbing, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Yang Yu, General Manager of the First Business Department of China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd., signed the contract as representatives.
According to an announcement released by Ningbo Ocean Shipping on the same day, these four ships will be invested in, constructed, and operated by Ningbo Ocean Shipping (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary established in Singapore by its existing wholly-owned subsidiary Ningbo Ocean Shipping (Singapore) Co., Ltd. The contract price for each ship is 296 million cross-border RMB, with the total amount for the four ships being 1.184 billion cross-border RMB. The new ships are expected to be delivered on or before April 30, 2028.
For reference, data from Clarksons shows that the current newbuilding price for a 2900TEU container ship is approximately $45 million (about 321 million RMB), showing a slight increase compared to $43 million during the same period last year.
It is reported that the 2700TEU container ships covered by this contract have an overall length of 185.99 meters, a molded breadth of 35.20 meters, a molded depth of 17.20 meters, and a design draft of 9.50 meters. They are the main ship type custom-designed by Ningbo Ocean Shipping to meet the business needs of regional routes such as those to Southeast Asia. This ship type is equipped with green and intelligent equipment such as an SCR denitration system, a high-voltage shore power system, and an intelligent ship system, demonstrating excellent performance in energy saving, consumption reduction, and intelligent management. According to the construction schedule, ships of this type will begin to be completed successively by the end of 2027 and will be put into operation on regional routes.
Ningbo Ocean Shipping stated that this investment project aligns with the company’s own strategic layout and business development needs, matches the company’s ship investment and construction plan, is conducive to optimizing and strengthening the company’s main shipping business, and further enhances the company’s core competitiveness. After the 2700TEU container ships are put into operation, they will further optimize Ningbo Ocean Shipping’s fleet structure, enhance the overall competitiveness in the regional route market, and add new momentum for the company to accelerate its goal of building itself into an “Asia-leading regional logistics service provider”.
Since the beginning of this year, Ningbo Ocean Shipping has actively responded to the national “Belt and Road” Initiative and the “Dual Circulation” strategy. Through measures such as optimizing fleet allocation, upgrading operational routes, and extending route networks, the company has continued to deepen its presence in the regional container shipping market, enhanced its slot supply capacity and route density in the Southeast Asian market, and comprehensively improved its route service capabilities, achieving remarkable results. In April, the company split and upgraded the original “Thailand-Vietnam Route”, incorporating the Port of Sihanoukville into its international route network for the first time, effectively strengthening the efficient linkage between Ningbo Zhoushan Port and major ports in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and other places, and maximizing logistics efficiency and reducing transportation costs for booking customers. In May, the company launched the “Jiaxing-Ningbo-Wenzhou-Manila” container express line, establishing a golden waterway directly connecting the coast of Zhejiang with core ports in the Philippines. Furthermore, by establishing overseas subsidiaries and dispatching owner’s representatives, Ningbo Ocean Shipping has further improved its overseas layout, enhanced the service level and market competitiveness of its regional routes, and steadily advanced its “going global”步伐.
It is understood that Ningbo Ocean Shipping was established in 1992 with a registered capital of 1.308 billion RMB and is a controlled subsidiary of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd. The company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd. in December 2008, officially initiated its spin-off and listing plan in December 2020, completed its joint-stock reform in March 2021, and successfully listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange Main Board on December 8, 2022, becoming the first “A-spin-off A” listed company among domestic port and shipping enterprises.
As the largest container liner company in Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Ocean Shipping has deep experience in international liner transportation, coastal and Yangtze River route services, and is an important force in the global liner market. Since the first cooperation in 2014 to build two 1100TEU container ships, the two parties have worked together and established a profound cooperative friendship. This time, Ningbo Ocean Shipping once again chose Huangpu Wenchong, signing a contract for four 2700TEU container ships. This is both a full affirmation of Huangpu Wenchong’s technical strength and service level, and opens a new chapter for win-win cooperation between the two parties.
Huangpu Wenchong will take this signing as a new starting point to expand broader cooperation with Ningbo Ocean Shipping in areas such as container ships, green fuel ships, and intelligent ships, jointly contributing to the high-quality development of China’s shipping industry.
As a globally leading builder of feeder container ships, Huangpu Wenchong has rich construction experience and a good market reputation in the field of container ships. In the field of feeder container ships of 4300TEU and below, the company has secured 24 new ship orders in 2024 and holds 48 orders in hand, ranking first in the world for both indicators.
Including the latest orders, data from Clarksons shows that Huangpu Wenchong currently holds a total orderbook of 134 ships totaling 5.58 million deadweight tons. This includes 77 container ships, 21 bulk carriers, 14 LPG carriers, 9 multi-purpose vessels, 5 offshore vessels, and 8 other ship types, with delivery schedules extending until 2029.
