Following the announcement of 20 methanol-powered container ships in August, Taiwan-based shipping company Wan Hai Lines continues to place orders for methanol dual-fuel large container ships.
Wan Hai Lines announced that it has signed four newbuilding contracts for 16,000TEU container ships with Samsung Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Samho, a subsidiary of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE).
Among them, the price of a single ship signed with Samsung Heavy Industries is about US$187.6 million to US$204 million, and the total value of the four ships is about US$750 million to US$816 million; the price of a single ship signed with HD Hyundai Samho is about US$186.5 million to US$204 million, and the total value of the four ships is about US$750 million to US$816 million.
The highest value of the eight container ships Wan Hai Lines ordered is US$1.632 billion. According to Wan Hai Lines, the price includes the cost of upgrading the ship’s equipment. The delivery date has not yet been disclosed.
In August this year, Wan Hai Lines announced the signing of a letter of intent to build up to 20 methanol-powered container ships with a total value of up to US$3 billion, which will be built by two shipyards in China and South Korea. Among them, CSBC Corporation, Taiwan would build 12+4 8000TEU methanol dual-fuel container ships, and HD Hyundai Samho would build 4 8700TEU methanol dual-fuel container ships.
In September of the same year, Wan Hai Lines and HD Hyundai Samho officially signed a contract for four 8,700TEU methanol dual-fuel container ships. The cost of each ship is approximately US$128 million, and the total order value is approximately US$510 million, which are scheduled to be delivered in May 2027.
Wan Hai Lines currently operates 123 ships with a total capacity of 530,000 TEUs, ranking 11th among global container operators.