Zodiac Maritime lines up eight boxships at China's Hengli yard
The order for 6,400 TEU containerships extends Eyal Ofer's newbuilding programme to more than $1.6 billion, with deliveries running into 2029.
Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Maritime has been linked to an order for eight 6,400 TEU containerships at China's Hengli Heavy Industry, extending a boxship newbuilding drive now worth more than $1.6 billion. The deal adds significantly to the London-based owner's containership fleet commitments as it continues to invest in new tonnage.
Brokers price the vessels at around $80 million each, putting the total investment in this specific order at roughly $640 million, with deliveries scheduled across 2028 and 2029. The multi-year delivery window is typical for large newbuilding programmes of this size, reflecting the lead times required at busy Chinese yards currently working through substantial order backlogs.
Containerships in the 6,400 TEU range occupy a flexible middle segment of the boxship fleet, large enough to offer economies of scale on major trade routes while remaining compact enough to call at a wide range of ports compared with the largest ultra-large vessels. Owners such as Zodiac have continued to invest in this size class even as overall containership ordering has accelerated across the industry.
Hengli Heavy Industry has increasingly featured among the yards securing large containership orders as Chinese shipbuilders compete aggressively for newbuilding contracts, backed by extensive capacity and competitive pricing. Zodiac's decision to place a significant order there adds to the yard's growing profile in the boxship newbuilding market.
With brokers now pricing the deal and deliveries mapped out over the next few years, the order cements Zodiac's continued expansion in the containership segment at a moment when owners across the industry are racing to secure scarce newbuilding slots. Further details on financing and any additional options attached to the order have not been disclosed.
