Kanway Line, a minor Taiwanese feeder operator, has commissioned firm orders for two 1,900TEU ships from CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding.
Huangpu Wenchong’s immediate parent, China CSSC Holdings, disclosed the newbuilding orders in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on 20 November 2020.
The orders, scheduled for delivery in 2022, come with options for another two vessels. While the contract price was not disclosed, similar ships contracted recently at the same shipyard have a current market value of around US$25 million each.
The newbuildings, each with a length of 172m and width of 27.5m, will be of the Bangkokmax design.
Originally established by Yeh Yu Tai as Fuhai Marine Enterprise, or Fuhai Line, in 1994, the company was re-incorporated as Kanway Line in 2003.
Prior to 2009, Kanway Line operated as a non-vessel owning common carrier, focusing on services between Taiwan, Hong Kong and southern China.
The company acquired a 1998-built 1,675TEU ship, Kanway Global, in 2009, marking its foray into ship owning. In 2014 a second vessel, the 1,613TEU Kanway Galaxy, was purchased. These are the only two ships in Kanway Line’s fleet presently.
Kanway Global is operated by Kanway Line on a service connecting the Taiwanese ports of Kaohsiung, Keelung, Taichung with Hong Kong and Shekou in southern China. Kanway Galaxy has been chartered out to Indonesian feeder operator Samudera Shipping Line.
Kanway Line also purchases slots from compatriot liner operator Yang Ming Marine Transport for the Hong Kong-Haiphong service.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
