Chartworld eyes fresh container vessel order amid fleet renewal push

Shipbrokers reported last week that Greek interests have signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Chinese shipbuilder Hengli Heavy Industry for the construction of four 4,300-TEU vessels. Market sources suggest Chartworld had been seeking vessels of this size in the newbuilding market for some time and had entered discussions with Hengli among others.

This development comes shortly after it was reported that Chartworld had divested four 2010-built, 3,650-TEU vessels to French liner CMA CGM, further aligning with its ongoing fleet renewal strategy.

Chartworld is actively modernising its fleet through both newbuildings and secondhand transactions across multiple sectors. According to shipbuilding platforms, the Greek company currently has four vessels under construction – two Ultramax bulk carriers and two MR product tankers – built in China, with deliveries scheduled through 2026.

The last time Chartworld placed an order in the container vessel sector was in 2021, when it entrusted China’s New Times Shipbuilding with the construction of four 13,000-TEU vessels. The Greek owner later resold two of these vessels to German liner Hapag-Lloyd, while committing the other pair to long-term charters with the same company.

According to shipping data platforms, Chartworld’s existing fleet includes over 40 vessels, spanning bulk carriers, tankers, container vessels and reefers.

Firm newbuilding interest

In its latest weekly report, MB Shipbrokers highlighted firm market interest in newbuildings across all vessel sizes, particularly within the feeder segment.

“Several buyers are in talks for 2,800-TEU vessels, and we expect to see more LOIs and firm orders in the coming weeks,” analysts noted.

Greek shipowners have also returned to the container vessel newbuilding market, with notable players such as Danaos Corp, Navios Maritime Partners, Capital-Executive Ship Management and Euroseas among the most active in the sector.