by Lloyd's List

OCEAN Network Express is understood to have signed firm newbuilding contracts for a new series of ultra large containerships at a South Korean shipyard.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering today announced it had won an order for eight 15,900 teu boxships from an undisclosed Asia-based shipowner.

Shipbuilding industry sources have since confirmed that the newbuilding contract at HD KSOE was arranged by world’s sixth-largest container line operator, ONE. 

According to the shipbuilder, the new tonnage is valued at $225m per vessel, with delivery booked for the second half of 2028. All eight liquefied natural gas dual-fuel ships are set to be constructed by HD KSOE’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipbuilding facility in Ulsan, South Korea.

The latest newbuilding contract adds to a total of 40 containerships ordered for ONE’s own account since 2022. 

Its first newbuildings were contracted in May 2022, with five vessels each of 13,700 teu being ordered from HD Hyundai HI and Japan’s Nihon Shipyard.

The lead ship from the series, One Sparkle (IMO: 9975612), was delivered by HD Hyundai HI in February.

ONE later added 10 ships of 13,700 teu at Nihon Shipyard, but its last orders were won by Chinese shipbuilders, comprising 20, 13,000 teu, methanol dual-fuel containerships.

The orders were signed in 2024, with 10 vessels each being contracted at Jiangnan Shipyard Group and Yangzijiang Shipyard.

Singapore-headquartered ONE was founded in 2017 by the amalgamation of the container line operations of Japan’s K-Line, Mitsui OSK Lines and NYK Line.

The company operates 271 containerships in service, with a combined capacity of some 2m teu, according to Alphaliner. 

By the end of May, the total backlog of containership newbuildings reached a record 9.7m teu, or some 31.1% of capacity of the boxship fleet in service.