Turkish owner Bayraktar Shipping has stepped into the newbuilding market, with brokers linking the Istanbul-based company to two firm 1,800 teu feeder containerships in China plus two options.
The ships have been reportedly booked at China Merchants Industry Group’s revived Wuhan Qingshan Shipyard, with the firm pair scheduled to deliver in 2028 and 2029.
No price, propulsion details, or option-declaration dates have been disclosed.
European brokers currently put a standard Chinese-built feeder of this size at around $32m, implying roughly $64m for the firm pair and potentially around $128m if both options are exercised.
The new ships will be the largest container vessels in Bayraktar’s fleet. Turkish shipping reports put the current operation at seven container ships, three supramax bulkers and two multipurpose vessels. The owner’s own website lists a wider collection of dry bulk, multipurpose, container and general cargo tonnage totalling around 235,000 dwt.
The order would also mark Bayraktar’s first newbuilding delivery since 2011, when the company took a 58,450 dwt supramax from South Korea’s SPP Shipbuilding. Its strategy page says the group intends to expand in both dry bulk and containerships, with a particular focus on smaller boxships of up to 2,500 teu.
Qingshan is itself in the middle of a comeback. Splash reported in February that China Merchants was restoring newbuilding at the Wuhan yard after it exited ship construction in 2018 and spent several years concentrating on repair and steel fabrication.
The restarted yard has quickly established 1,800 teu feeders as one of its core products. Shanghai-listed Zhonggu Logistics backed the revival in April with ten ships, while Sinotrans has lined up two four-ship batches and Greece’s Goldenport Shipmanagement has been linked to another three.
