Thailand’s Regional Container Lines (RCL) has returned to its feeder roots with an order for four 1，900 teu ships at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong.

The vessels will use the Guangzhou yard’s in-house design， measuring 172 m long and 27.5 m wide， with a capacity of around 24，000 dwt.

The ships meet IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index Phase III requirements and will be equipped with shore power and scrubbers. Price， delivery dates and the firm-to-option split have not been revealed; however， comparable newbuilds have recently been quoted at around $32m apiece.

RCL already has eight 4，300 teu ships booked at Huangpu Wenchong. Its accounts at the end of June listed 16 newbuilds scheduled for delivery through 2028， ranging from 4，300 teu to nearly 14，000 teu.

The four feeders would add another 7，600 teu to the pipeline.RCL operated 45 ships totalling 200，216 teu at the end of June. Founded in 1979 as a common feeder between Bangkok and Singapore， the Thai-listed carrier has moved into increasingly larger vessel classes in recent years， most recently booking two 14，000 teu ships at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.