The shipowner placed
an order for the ten 24,000 TEU units at Hengli Heavy Industries, Dalian, China, according
to data provided by Greek Intermodal Shipbrokers. As informed, the eco-friendly boxships are slated for delivery between
2028 and 2030.
The price tag for the
containership fleet has not been disclosed.
In September this
year, MSC reportedly booked a similar batch of ten 21,000 TEU container vessels
at the aforementioned shipyard. In 2024, the Swiss giant ordered a number of
dual-fuel containerships in China, spending billions of US dollars.
MSC’s massive fleet expansion is likely prompted by
the need to invest in decarbonization by replacing the aging part of its fleet
as well as to retain its global position and scale further.
According to Alphaliner’s
TOP 100 list, the MSC fleet currently comprises 880 vessels, of which 586 are
owned and 294 chartered. What is more, the company has 131 ships on order,
with more than 2 million TEU capacity.
Reflecting on the
global containership orderbook, Veson Nautical recently shared that there has been a huge rise in orders for
dual-fuel vessels over the last six years. This trend is said to be
particularly evident in the container shipping sector.