Seaspan places order for 27 dual-fuel box ships

Parent company Atlas revealed the newbuilding programme in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission reporting that in June 2024, Seaspan entered into 27 shipbuilding contracts for newbuild container ships ranging from 9,000 TEU to 17,000 TEU in capacity.

Among the 27 shipbuilding contracts were orders for four 9,000-TEU duel-fuel methanol container ships, four 9,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG container ships and five 17,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG container ships.

The filing said, “These contracts were thereafter novated to certain nominees. Upon delivery, these 13 newbuilds will be chartered by the company from such nominees under bareboat charters, and will then commence long-term time charters with a customer.”

Other contracts include five 17,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG container ships and five 16,000-TEU LNG box ships. Upon delivery, these 10 newbuilds will commence long-term charters with a customer.

Finally, another four contracts were for 9,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG container ships, which are novated to a customer, stated the filing.

The filing added during Q2 2024, the company took delivery of 11 newbuild vessels ranging in size from 7,000 TEU to 16,000 TEU, each of which commenced a long-term charter upon delivery. In July and August 2024, the company accepted the delivery of three 7,000-TEU newbuild vessels, each of which also started a long-term charter upon delivery.

The world’s largest box ship lessor, Seaspan operates 176 ships with capacity of 1.82M TEU. It has 41 newbuilds being delivered through to August 2029.