HONG KONG's Kawa Shipping has reportedly booked three 4,800-TEU vessels to be built at China's Wuhu Shipyard, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in a US$240 million deal, reports Rotterdam's Offshore Energy.
It is understood that the contract also includes an option for a fourth newbuilding. The delivery date for the ships has not been disclosed.
Kawa Shipping is in its nascent years in the maritime industry, having been established in 2023, meaning that the recent order represents one of the company's first newbuildings to be added to its fleet.
Data from Alphaliner indicate that the company has a fleet of nine units, with a combined capacity of 15,218 TEU.
The latest order speaks to a trend in the shipping industry pertaining to the ballooning number of container vessels being booked in 2024. Namely, at the end of the year, the boxship orderbook hit 8.3 million TEU - a jump from the 7.8 million TEU recorded in early 2023.
The recent development comes on the heels of the China-Europe Express service (CEX) launch between Ningbo in China and Germany's Wilhelmshaven ports.
As disclosed, to ensure a "uniquely" fast maritime connection between Asia and Northern Europe, the service is intended as a direct route exclusively, meaning there would be no calls at other ports.
As informed, the start of a continuous schedule is planned for mid-2025. In addition to the waterside connection between the two continents, plans to establish a continuous hinterland transport service by rail from Wilhelmshaven to Budapest are reportedly underway.
The initiator of the new connection is said to be Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group, which set up operations in Wilhelmshaven in 2023 on an area covering roughly 33,000 square metres within the P3 Logistics Parks.
The project itself was formalized during the opening of the China International Import Expo (CIIE), a trade fair held every autumn since 2018 in Shanghai China.
Aside from Kawa Shipping and Zhejiang Seaport Logistics, the declaration of intent was also signed by the Central European Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zone (CEZC) and container terminal Wilhelmshaven JadeWeserPort.
As per the Hong Kong Maritime Hub, the Panama-flagged 30,300 dwt Kawa Ningbo boxship made the inaugural voyage via the CEX service on December 30.
The 199.9-metre long Sub Panamax container freighter is currently on its 26-day trial journey -initially loaded with 2,400 TEU according to JadeWeserPort - and is expected to reach Wilhelmshaven on January 24.