Hapag-Lloyd has secured two contracts with two Chinese shipyards, totalling 24 new containerships.
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group will reportedly build 12 newbuildings, each with a capacity of 16,800 TEUs.
These units will be utilised to increase the capacity of existing services. An extra 12 ships, each with a capacity of 9,200 TEUs, have been purchased from New Times Shipbuilding Company Ltd.
These ships will replace older units in the Hapag-Lloyd fleet that are set to retire this decade. All of the new buildings will be outfitted with low-pollution, high-pressure liquefied gas dual-fuel engines that are exceptionally fuel efficient.
Furthermore, these vessels may run on biomethane, which can lower CO2e emissions by up to 95 per cent compared to traditional propulsion systems.
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The new ships will also be ammonia-compatible. Hapag-Lloyd plans to take possession of the new vessels between 2027 and 2029.
The new structures will have a total capacity of 312,000 TEUs and a combined investment of around $4 billion. A long-term funding of $3 billion has already been agreed.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, said: “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 modernising and decarbonising our fleet.”
