The Greek shipping company Danaos is pressing ahead with its newbuilding program and has now ordered six small box carriers, each with a capacity of 1,800 TEU.
Delivery is scheduled for the period from 2027 to 2029. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq-listed company did not provide any information on shipyard production or price. Long-term contracts have already been signed for four of the six ships, increasing the order book by around $236 million.
With the latest deal, the order book of the shipping company led by John Coustas has now grown to 23 container ships with a total of 153,350 TEU, with 21 of the units secured for a fixed term of several years. The average term of the contracts is 5.8 years.
In September, the company had already ordered two larger newbuilds with 7,165 TEU for 2027, both with five-year charter contracts with a total value of around USD 140 million.
In addition to its involvement in the container ship market, Danaos is also expanding its presence in the bulk segment. The purchase of a Capesize bulker has been confirmed, which is due to join the fleet in the late first quarter of 2026. This will bring the Capesize fleet to eleven vessels.
CEO John Coustas believes that demand for medium-sized and larger container ships remains at a high level. Jobs now extend into the year 2028. At the same time, the availability of shipyard slots for 2028 continues to decrease, while newbuilding prices are rising. The company has been able to secure the latest orders “below market price”.
Danaos currently operates a fleet of 75 container ships with a total of 477,491 TEU, supplemented by the growing newbuilding portfolio. The shipping company was founded in 1972 by Dimitri Coustas. The head office was relocated to Majuro in the Marshall Islands in 2005, but the operational business is managed from Athens and Hamburg. The fleet is managed by Danaos Shipping, based in Cyprus.
