D. Oltmann Reederei is said to be behind four orders for container ships of 10,010 TEU each at the Korean shipyard HJ Shipbuilding & Construction. This was reported by industry service Alphaliner.
Accordingly, the orders were placed in two tranches in February and April. The four ships are scheduled for delivery in 2028, at intervals of two months between April and October. According to the report, they will measure 289 m in length and 45.6 m in beam. This is the maximum size that HJSC can build at its Busan shipyard. Conventional propulsion systems with exhaust gas scrubbers are reportedly planned. A response to an inquiry from HANSA had not been received by the editorial deadline.
For Oltmann, the orders would represent a significant fleet expansion. According to Alphaliner, the company currently manages 14 container ships with capacities ranging from 3,700 to 10,010 TEU. The largest unit is the “RDO Ace”, built at Yangzijiang in 2018. The 10,010 TEU boxship was acquired by Navigare Capital Partners in 2023 and has been chartered to Ocean Network Express since 2021.
The existing Oltmann fleet is reportedly fully employed. The vessels operate for major shipping companies including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, ANL, OOCL and the Shipping Corporation of India. According to Alphaliner, there are currently no confirmed charter commitments for the four newbuildings.
According to the analysts, however, it is unlikely that a conservative owner such as Oltmann would order four large container ships purely on speculation. Alphaliner names the Shipping Corporation of India, which intends to expand its liner activities, and the Israeli shipping company ZIM as potential charter candidates in the 10,000 TEU segment. However, their long-term charter plans could be influenced by the planned takeover of the Israeli shipping company by Hapag-Lloyd.
