Hapag-Lloyd will sign off on its biggest order spree in the company’s 54-year history this week according to analysts at Alphaliner.

Hapag-Lloyd will contract for 24 newbuilding orders for LNG-dual fuel containerships in China， Alphaliner is reporting in its latest weekly report.

Hapag-Lloyd will order twelve 17，000 teu ships at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding， and another twelve 9，000 teu vessels at New Times Shipyard， orders that have been covered in broking reports last month.

Prices and delivery times have yet to be revealed，with Alphaliner putting an estimate at $3.96bn for all 24 ships.

Hapag-Lloyd will join forces with Maersk early next year to create the Gemini Cooperation，a new container alliance on the main east-west trades.

Germany’s top carrier unveiled its medium-term business plans through to 2030 in April this year，which include an aggressive fleet growth with the line’s CEO，Rolf Habben Jensen， claiming the goals were the company’s “most ambitious strategy to date”.