The Greek shipping company Minerva Dry is experiencing rapid growth: the company has placed an order for further container ships with the Chinese shipyard Hengli Heavy Industries.
Minerva and Hengli have continued their partnership: according to a statement from the shipyard, the shipping company has ordered several vessels, each with a capacity of 3,100 TEU. They are to be based on Hengli’s own designs, which are specifically tailored for regional services and the renewal of feeder fleets. However, the shipbuilders did not disclose either the number of vessels or the agreed price. The delivery schedule is also not yet known.
The Greek shipping company, led by Andreas Martinos, placed an order with the same shipyard just a few weeks ago. Hengli is building four container ships, each with a capacity of 6,000 TEU, which are due to be delivered in 2028. The exact value of the order has not been disclosed, but is estimated at approximately $320 million. Further newbuilds are being constructed at Penglai Jinglu (5 x 3,100 TEU) as well as at Yanzijiang and Huanghai Shipbuilding (4 x 1,800 TEU).
Minerva currently operates a fleet of ten container ships in the feeder segment; some of these are newbuilds, whilst others are second-hand vessels. In total, the company is investing around $1 billion in the expansion of its fleet.
Minerva is not alone in this regard within the Greek shipping industry: so far in 2026, Greek companies have emerged as the largest investors in terms of newbuilds. At the same time, they have been the most active buyers in the second-hand market. Among the largest investors is the shipping company Capital Maritime & Trading, owned by shipping magnate Evangelikos Marinakis: in February, the company announced an order for eleven new tankers, estimated to be worth over $1 billion.
