Wan Hai deepens newbuild push with LNG and methanol-ready boxships

The Taipei-headquartered carrier said it had contracted four 6,000 teu LNG dual-fuel newbuilds at Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding. The vessels are priced between $75.2m and $82m each, putting the total value of the deal at roughly $300m to $328m.

In a separate contract, Wan Hai has also ordered two larger 9,200 teu container ships from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. These units will be methanol-ready and carry a price tag of about $102m to $112m per ship, bringing the contract value to between $204m and $224m.

The latest orders follow an earlier deal announced in December for six 6,000 teu LNG dual-fuel vessels at Huangpu Wenchong, which are expected to be delivered by 2030 and are aimed primarily at regional and intra-Asia trades.

Alongside the fleet expansion, Wan Hai’s board has also approved the sale of three 5,600 teu container ships, with the price set at no less than $33m per vessel, or at least $99m in total.

The company, ranked among the world’s top container carriers, has been steadily renewing and expanding its owned fleet in recent years and the latest contracts add to a large orderbook already in place. With the new deals included, Wan Hai now has more than 40 ships on order across several yards, including an 8,000 teu series at CSBC Corporation and a batch of 16,000 teu vessels split between South Korean builders HD Hyundai Samho and Samsung Heavy Industries.