Since March, Erasmus Shipinvest, a Greek shipping company that had previously been keen on placing orders with Japanese shipyards, has ordered 18 new vessels across three types from Chinese shipyards, with a total construction cost exceeding $700 million. The latest publicly announced shipbuilding project has been awarded to a shipyard in Jiangsu.
Trading Winds reports that Erasmus Shipinvest has placed an order with Taizhou Sanfu Shipbuilding for 4+2 2,400-TEU container ships. The total value of the order is approximately $270 million, with each vessel costing about $45 million. The first four vessels are expected to be delivered between 2028 and 2029.
The new vessels will be powered by conventional fuel and comply with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) EEDI Phase 3 requirements and Tier III nitrogen oxide emission standards. According to sources, Erasmus Shipinvest does not place speculative orders or invest in second-hand vessels; therefore, long-term charter contracts have already been secured for this fleet of new ships.
With the announcement of this order for feeder container ships, Erasmus Shipinvest has placed orders for a total of 18 new vessels with Chinese shipyards in just two months, with a total investment exceeding $700 million. In addition to Sanfu Shipbuilding, Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (HT) has secured orders for bulk carriers from the shipowner, while CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding is responsible for building the feeder container ships.
In late March, Erasmus Shipinvest placed an order with HT for 4+4 82,000 DWT Kamsarmax bulk carriers, with each vessel costing approximately $37 million. Including the options, the total value of the eight vessels is approximately $296 million, with delivery expected in 2028.
It is worth noting that this bulk carrier order marks Erasmus Shipinvest’s first shipbuilding order from a Chinese shipyard, whereas the shipowner previously relied heavily on Japanese shipyards. This recent new ship project suggests that the shipowner is adjusting its shipbuilding strategy.
Shortly after the bulk carrier order was made public, in early April, Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding announced that it had signed a contract with Erasmus Shipinvest to build 2+2 1800TEU container ships. The cost of each ship is said to be $35 million, and with the option order, the total value of the four ships is about $140 million.
The 1800TEU container ship is the “Honghu” series of ships independently developed by Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding. Through optimized hull lines and the adoption of new energy-saving technologies, it features low energy consumption, high maneuverability, and wide adaptability.
Erasmus Shipinvest’s official website states that the company is an international, diversified shipping group that has been in operation since 2010. It specializes in ocean-going dry bulk, feeder container, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) transportation, covering vessel ownership, management, and chartering operations; It currently manages and operates a fleet of over 30 vessels, including Panamax, Kamsarmax, Ultramax, and Handysize bulk carriers, feeder container ships, and LPG carriers.
Taizhou Sanfu Shipbuilding operates two shipbuilding bases—the Yong’an and Kouan sites—both equipped with 10,000-ton-class outfitting berths. The company has constructed a total of seven final assembly slipways and is equipped with hundreds of lifting devices, with a maximum lifting capacity of 900 tons. It is capable of building various types of vessels under 120,000 deadweight tons, including container ships, multi-purpose vessels, oil tankers, chemical tankers, bulk carriers, tugs, offshore engineering vessels, and various types of barges.
