Greek shipping company Contships Logistics has launched a program to build up to 30 new vessels in China as part of its fleet modernization efforts. The company's subsidiary, CLC Newbuildings, has signed a letter of intent with Hubei Guangji Green Energy Shipbuilding to construct 10 container ships with a capacity of 1,300 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The deal includes options for two additional batches of 10 ships each. The new vessels will be designed by the Shanghai Design and Research Institute of Commercial Ships (SDARI) in collaboration with Contships.
The new ships will have a capacity of 1,324 TEU, including 340 reefer plugs, and will be powered by traditional fuel. They will be equipped with Mitsubishi main engines, low-pressure selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, Daihatsu generators, and shaft generators, as well as various energy-saving technologies. The vessels will be built at the Wuxue shipyard on the Yangtze River, which is operated by Guangji in partnership with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding & Offshore Project Management.
This is the largest international order received by the Chinese shipbuilder, which is backed by the state. The Wuxue shipyard is a new facility that has recently entered service, with an investment of 3.5 billion Chinese yuan ($488 million). The yard has 10 building berths and aims to produce 1 million deadweight tons (dwt) of shipping capacity annually. Before securing the Contships deal, Guangji's order book had already exceeded 4 billion yuan ($562 million), according to Chinese industry reports.
For Contships, the order comes after a significant divestment of older feeder vessels. The company sold 15 ships in 2025 and five more in the first half of 2026, generating $59 million in sales. The company's fleet currently consists of 27 vessels, down from previous years. Contships has been selective in its use of the strong used ship market, investing $72 million in five feeder vessels in 2025, while continuing to dispose of older units.
Contships started the second half of 2026 with cash and deposits worth $249 million, as well as a backlog of contracts worth $240.7 million. The company's charter portfolio includes contracts with major shipping lines such as CMA CGM, ZIM, COSCO, X-Press Feeders, and Unifeeder. The new vessels will support Contships' growth strategy and help the company maintain its position in the market.
The ContshipMax CV1300 design developed by SDARI and Contships will be used for the new vessels. This design provides an efficient and environmentally friendly solution for the company's operations. The order is a significant milestone for both Contships and Guangji, marking a major expansion of the Chinese shipbuilder's international business.
The deal is also a vote of confidence in the Chinese shipbuilding industry, which has been expanding its global presence in recent years. With this order, Contships is poised to modernize its fleet and enhance its competitiveness in the market. The company is focused on providing efficient and reliable services to its customers, and the new vessels will play a key role in achieving this goal.
Key points
- Contships Logistics has ordered up to 30 new vessels from China's Hubei Guangji Green Energy Shipbuilding as part of its fleet modernization efforts.
