The Hong Kong-based shipping company OOCL has ordered a series of twelve new container ships. This will increase the capacity of the company, which belongs to Cosco, by over 150,000 TEU.
The order goes to the shipbuilding company Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding, which belongs to the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation(CSSC). As announced by Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), the ships are to be equipped with dual-fuel propulsion systems in order to be able to use both conventional fuels and LNG. This was an “important strategic decision” made after a comprehensive assessment of environmental developments and the feasibility of fuel supply.
CEO Tao Weidong explained that the order underlines OOCL’s commitment to the green transformation and sustainable development of the shipping industry. At the same time, it ensures flexibility in ship types and diversification of the fleet. The continuous capacity expansion will support OOCL in increasing capacity provision in emerging markets, regional markets and third countries, further optimizing global capacity distribution and promoting balanced global development.
Once delivered, the newbuildings will be the first LNG-capable vessels in the company’s fleet. Each vessel will have a capacity of 13,600 TEU, increasing OOCL’s total order book by 163,200 TEU.
Like its parent company Orient Overseas International Limited (OOIL), the shipping company OOCL has been part of Cosco since the takeover in 2017. The state-run shipping company occupies 4th place in the global ranking, ahead of Hapag-Lloyd. Cosco’s fleet comprises more than 550 ships with a capacity of around 3.6 million TEU. The order book is one of the largest in the industry: Cosco expects to take delivery of more than 130 ships with a capacity of around 1.7 million TEU over the next few years.
