On November 19, Fujian Shipbuilding Group’s Mawei Shipbuilding signed an order for 2+2 2900TEU container ships with T.S. Lines.
This ship type adopts the Chittagong-type wide-body design, with an overall length of 185.99 meters, a breadth of 35.20 meters, a depth of 17.20 meters, and a full load draft of 11.00 meters. The deadweight is approximately 36,380 tons. In terms of energy efficiency, it utilizes the S-Bow low-wave added resistance hull form. While ensuring the speed at the design draft, it also balances the comprehensive navigation performance at various drafts, making it an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly container ship.
The price of the new ships was not disclosed. For reference, Clarksons’ data shows that the current newbuilding price for a 2900TEU container ship is approximately $45 million (about RMB 320 million), slightly higher than the $43 million from the same period last year.
It is understood that T.S. Lines was established on March 2, 2001, and is a container shipping company focused on the Asian region, primarily expanding its business within Asia. In recent years, T.S. Lines has continuously launched new ocean routes to expand its service network. In 2021, it expanded its trade routes to New Zealand and Canada; in 2022, to the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and the US East Coast; and in 2023, it opened routes to Indonesia and East Africa. In November of last year, T.S. Lines was officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The strategic cooperation between T.S. Lines and Mawei Shipbuilding began in 2021, on the occasion of Fujian Shipbuilding’s 155th anniversary. At that time, T.S. Lines presented this century-old shipyard with a highly significant “birthday gift” – placing bulk orders for 8 x 1100TEU and 6 x 2900TEU container ships. This series of orders represented the largest container ship construction project ever undertaken by Mawei Shipbuilding, successfully marking the beginning of a mutually beneficial partnership.
During the construction of the first batch of ships, the teams from both sides collaborated sincerely and, relying on strong technical capabilities, successfully completed all major project milestones, concluding perfectly on January 16, 2024. Based on the solid foundation and mutual trust established during the initial cooperation, the partnership between the two sides continued to deepen, ultimately leading to the smooth signing of this new order.
Feeder container ships are a signature product of Fujian Shipbuilding Group. To date, it has delivered over a hundred such vessels, which are widely recognized by the market. In the future, Fujian Shipbuilding Group will continue to adhere to quality as the foundation and market orientation, persistently advance ship type optimization, design upgrades, efficient construction, and meticulous management, continuously enhance product competitiveness and customer satisfaction, and actively contribute to building China into a strong maritime nation.
It is understood that Mawei Shipbuilding was established in 1866, originally named Fujian Shipbuilding. It is the first shipbuilding enterprise established in China and has a history of 159 years. In 2016, Mawei Shipbuilding relocated to Culu Island, Lianjiang County. The shipyard covers an area of approximately 1060 mu and features a medium-sized offshore dock (280m long, 82m wide, 13.5m deep), equipped with one 700-ton gantry crane. It has three outfitting quays with a total berth line length of 1326 meters and one hull assembly workshop capable of processing 80,000 tons of steel.
Mawei Shipbuilding is the largest state-owned shipbuilding enterprise in Fujian Province and an important shipbuilding base in Southern China. It possesses the capability to research, design, build, and repair various types of ships up to 100,000 DWT. It has extensive experience, particularly in designing and constructing various types of high-value-added offshore equipment, tuna purse seiners, deep-sea aquaculture equipment, multi-purpose container ships, bulk carriers, and /chemical carriers.
Excluding the latest order, Clarksons’ data shows that Mawei Shipbuilding currently has a total orderbook of 54 ships, approximately 1.24 million DWT. This includes 17 offshore vessels, 12 car carriers, 11 tankers, 10 bulk carriers, 3 container ships, and 1 other vessel type, with deliveries scheduled until 2029.
