Wan Hai expands order for 16,000-teu container ships in South Korea

Container ship of Wan Hai (Photo: Phaata)

Taiwanese container shipping line Wan Hai Lines has returned to South Korean shipyards to order a new series of 16,000-TEU vessels, ready for dual-fuel methanol.

The Taipei-based company has signed contracts to build two vessels each at HD Hyundai Samho and Samsung Heavy Industries, with a total contract value of up to US$816 million.

The ships built at HD Hyundai Samho range in price from US$186.5 million to US$204 million each, while at Samsung Heavy Industries, the prices range from US$187.6 million to US$204 million. Wan Hai said the price includes equipment upgrades on the ships, according to information released on the stock exchange.

In October last year, Wan Hai — now the world's 11th-largest container shipping line — also signed contracts with the two yards to build four 16,000-TEU ships, with prices similar to the new orders.

In August of the same year, Wan Hai announced plans to expand its fleet with up to 20 methanol dual-fuel ships. This includes 12 8,000-TEU ships with formal contracts and four optional ships at CSBC Corporation shipbuilding, along with four 8,700-TEU ships based at HD Hyundai Samho.

The 16,000-TEU series of ships ordered in October — which will use traditional fuel but be ready to convert to methanol — are scheduled to be delivered in 2027 and 2028. They are the largest containerships Wan Hai has ever ordered, and the company is now looking into converting them to LNG dual fuel, which is expected to add about $30 million to the cost per ship.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Splash247)

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