Hot on the heels of Seaspan’s order for 13，600 teu newbuilds， Chinese boxship giant COSCO Shipping Lines has signed up for six similar-sized ships at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding.

The world’s fourth-largest containerline has tapped the CSSC-affiliated yard for a conventionally-fuelled series delivering by 2027.

The 336-m-long newbuilds will be fitted with scrubbers and energy-saving devices such as anti-fouling paint and shore power charging systems. No value has been revealed; however， newbuilding sources suggest the deal settled in renminbi rather than US dollars， just like the Seaspan order， is worth more than $900m.

COSCO Group is the fourth-largest box carrier， boasting a fleet of more than 500 ships， excluding over 50 newbuilds. COSCO-controlled Hong Kong-based liner operator Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) will also be taking Seaspan’s newbuilds on a 15-year charter for about RMB11.2bn ($1.57bn).

The deal marks the fourth batch of orders for large boxships received by the Chinese state-owned yard this year， which also included Singapore’s Pacific International Lines (PIL) and Hamburg-based boxship and bulker owner and operator Peter Döhle.