Wan Hai Lines has confirmed the order of four new container vessels after striking a deal with Samsung Heavy Industries on 31 May 2021.
In a statement, the carrier said the contract includes four 13,100 TEU vessels. It will begin taking delivery of the vessels in the second quarter of 2023.
Currently, Wan Hai Lines operates a vessel fleet of 83 owned and 62 chartered. This new shipbuilding contract is the company’s latest fleet upsizing plan, so as to ensure its vessel fleet is able to maintain competitive and support continuous market development.
The company said it aims to deliver better service quality to its customers by their recent vessel renewal plan. In 2018, the carrier announced it had ordered a 20-strong fleet of container ships as part of its improvement plan.
The announcement means Wan Hai Lines is the latest carrier to expand its fleet to meet surging demand on the major Pacific shipping routes.
Since the easing of lockdown measures in China and other parts of Southeast Asia, traffic on these routes has expanded substantially, driven largely by consumer demand in North America.
