Contships plans up to 30 feeder container newbuildings in China
Contships Logistics Corp. is planning a major expansion of its feeder fleet after its wholly owned subsidiary, CLC Newbuildings Inc., signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) covering up to 30 new container vessels in China.
The agreement with Hubei Guangji Green Energy Shipbuilding Group covers 10 firm 1,300 TEU vessels, with options for two additional series of 10 ships each.
The newbuildings will use the ContshipMax CV1300 design, developed by Contships in cooperation with ship designer SDARI specifically for the global feeder trades.
New feeder vessels to offer 1,324 TEU capacity
Each vessel will have a capacity of 1,324 TEUs and 340 reefer plugs. The design has been developed within dimensions intended to provide operational flexibility across feeder shipping networks.
The ships will be fitted with Tier III Mitsubishi main engines using low-pressure selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. Other equipment will include Daihatsu generators, shaft generators and energy-saving devices.
According to Contships, the configuration is designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while meeting the operational requirements of feeder services.
Construction planned at Hubei Guangji shipyard
The vessels are planned to be built at Hubei Guangji Green Energy Shipbuilding Group’s new shipyard.
The construction programme will also involve Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding & Offshore Project Management Co., Ltd. as a strategic partner of the Chinese shipbuilder.
Contships said the potential 30-vessel programme forms part of its longer-term fleet renewal strategy for the container feeder market.
The announcement did not disclose the value of the newbuilding programme or expected delivery dates.
