Chartworld Shipping, owned by Greece’s renowned shipping family the Kollakis, is accelerating its fleet renewal plan. After an earlier round of unsuccessful newbuilding negotiations, the company has recently restarted talks with Chinese shipyards, focusing on mid-sized container ships in the 3,000–4,300 TEU range.
Multiple shipbrokers recently revealed that Chartworld has engaged in a new round of discussions with Xinya Shipbuilding regarding the potential construction of a series of 3,100 TEU container ships. Sources indicate that a Letter of Intent (LOI) has been signed, though a formal contract has yet to be finalized. Chartworld has not commented on the matter.
Earlier in March, reports suggested that Chartworld had held in-depth talks with Hengli Heavy Industries for a series of 4,300 TEU container ships. However, the negotiations stalled due to a lack of substantial agreement. Similarly, Taizhou Sanfu Heavy Industry, which participated in earlier discussions, has not reported further progress.
Despite ongoing negotiations, it is clear that Chartworld is actively expanding its presence in the mid-sized container ship segment. The company has been steadily renewing its fleet, having previously ordered 13,000 TEU mega-container ships from New Times Shipbuilding in 2021, demonstrating its long-term commitment to the container shipping sector.
Beyond container ships, Charterwell, another subsidiary of the Chartworld Group, is steadily expanding its bulk carrier fleet. The company recently took delivery of two Ultramax bulk carriers, the *Star Ocean* and *Star Opal*, also built by Xinya Shipbuilding. Additionally, Chartworld has two MR product tankers under construction at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in Jiangsu, scheduled for delivery in 2026.
