Hapag-Lloyd has signed two contracts with two Chinese shipyards for a total of 24 new container ships, with a value of around $4 billion.
Twelve of them, each having a capacity of 16,800 TEU, to be built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group. An additional twelve ships, each with a capacity of 9,200 TEU, have been ordered from New Times Shipbuilding Company Ltd. and will replace older units in the Hapag-Lloyd fleet that will be nearing the end of their service life in this decade.
All of the newbuildings will be equipped with low emission high pressure liquefied gas dual-fuel engines that are fuel-efficient.
In addition, these vessels can be operated using biomethane, which can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 95% compared to conventional propulsion systems. The new ships will also be ammonia-ready. Hapag-Lloyd will take delivery of the new vessels between 2027 and 2029.
The newbuildings will have a combined capacity of 312,000 TEU and involve a combined investment volume of around USD four billion. A long-term financing of USD three billion has already been committed.
This investment is one of the largest in the recent history of Hapag-Lloyd, and it represents a significant milestone for our company as it pursues the goals of its Strategy 2030, such as to grow while also modernizing and decarbonizing our fleet.
… said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG.
Considering the recent investment decision announced on April 16 of this year to retrofit five vessels to methanol propulsion, this investment is another step in Hapag-Lloyd’s efforts to prepare itself for a multifuel future and to drive the decarbonization of the liner shipping industry.
Hapag-Lloyd controls 287 modern container ships with a total transport capacity of 2.2 million TEU. This makes the company one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. In addition, it operates the largest fleet sailing under the German flag.
