Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS), Idan Ofer’s Singapore-based ship owning outfit, has ordered up to ten 2,900 TEU container ships at China’s Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding.
The newbuilding contract was signed via video conferencing on 3 March but was only announced by the shipyard this week.
The orders comprise six firm units and options for another four vessels. Two of the six firm units are reportedly for the account of another of Ofer’s companies, XT Shipping. Deliveries are expected from 2024 to 2025.
The 2,900 TEU ships will be built according to the Sealion energy-efficient design created by Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute. Each vessel has a 185.99m length, a 35.2m beam and an 11m draught.
The newbuilding price was not disclosed but VesselsValue estimates the current market value to be around US$51 million per ship.
EPS, like its peers amid the rising container shipping market, has been expanding its container ship orderbook, which includes eleven 15,264 TEU vessels and six 7,900 TEU vessels at Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and seven 7,000 TEU vessels on order at New Times Shipbuilding.
It is the first time that EPS has ordered vessels at Fujian Mawei, which is also building boxships for MSC and TS Lines. As major shipyards are mostly booked to 2025, ship owners have been turning to mid-tier shipbuilders to secure earlier delivery dates.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
