South Korea’s container shipping company Korea Marine Transport Co (KMTC) has signed a contract for six new 3,100 TEU container ships with China’s Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, formalizing the deal together with China Shipbuilding Trading. It is the first time KMTC is going to a Chinese shipyard for its newbuilding program.
The vessels will be based on the Honghu series design, a 3,100 TEU container ship platform independently developed by Huangpu Wenchong. The design has already been ordered again by several international shipowners, which proves its established place in the container shipbuilding market.
KMTC’s first Chinese shipbuilding deal
KMTC is one of the leading container carriers in South Korea, mainly operating intra-Asia liner services. Traditionally, the company has relied on domestic South Korean shipyards to source new vessels.
As such, the contract with Huangpu Wenchong is KMTC’s first deal with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and the first newbuilding order for the company from a Chinese shipyard. The deal is a big event for the South Korean operator and the Chinese shipbuilding group.
Honghu design meets operational requirements
Huangpu Wenchong has made targeted upgrades and optimizations to the Honghu design for the order to meet KMTC’s operational needs. The changes are aimed at increasing fuel efficiency and giving more operational flexibility.
These enhancements are to make the vessels more suited to a range of trading conditions in support of the carrier’s requirements across its intra-Asian network.
Increasing international attention on the Honghu series
Another contract for the same series of vessels was recently awarded to KMTC. Hai An Transport, a Vietnamese company, earlier in October placed its first order with Huangpu Wenchong for two Honghu-series container vessels.
The two deals highlight the yard’s expanding orderbook for the 3,100 TEU design, which continues to attract Asian carriers looking for new container tonnage.
