On October 26, CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Huangpu Wenchong”), together with China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd., and Korea Marine Transport Co., Ltd. (KMTC) officially signed a construction contract in Guangzhou for six 3,100 TEU container ships.

The contracted ship type is the “Honghu” 3,100 TEU container ship independently developed and designed by Huangpu Wenchong. It has an overall length of 199.99 meters, a beam of 35.2 meters, and a design speed of 18.5 knots. The ship features high heavy-container capacity, large reefer container capacity, moderate speed, low fuel consumption, and a range of 15,000 nautical miles. It meets IMO Tier III NOx emission requirements and balances cargo capacity with operating economy.

KMTC is one of South Korea’s largest container shipping companies and has for many years focused on intra-Asia route transportation. In the past, its shipbuilding projects were basically placed with domestic Korean shipyards. This signing is particularly significant—it is not only the first time KMTC has placed an order with CSSC, but also the first time it has entrusted newbuilding construction to a Chinese shipyard, marking an important milestone.

In recent years, Huangpu Wenchong has deepened its presence in the small and medium-sized container ship segment. It has delivered multiple types of feeder and medium-sized container ships to many well-known domestic and international shipowners, developed mature serial construction experience, and gained a good market reputation. Last month, Huangpu Wenchong signed a contract with Thailand’s Regional Container Lines (RCL) for four container ships of the same series.

Shin Yong-hwa, President of KMTC, and Weng Hongbing, Party Secretary and Chairman of Huangpu Wenchong, attended the signing ceremony and delivered speeches. Chung Hyun-yong, Vice President of KMTC; Nie Lijun, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of Huangpu Wenchong; Yang Yu, General Manager of the Asia-Pacific Department of China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd.; and representatives of the three parties jointly witnessed the signing. The ceremony was hosted by Li Xin, Deputy General Manager of Huangpu Wenchong.