A little-known Hong Kong company has entered the feeder containership newbuilding market, with Synelysia Limited booking four firm 1,900 TEU bangkokmax vessels at China's Xinle Shipyard, reported Singapore's Splash 247, citing Alphaliner.

The contracts, signed in late May, include two sets of options that could raise the series to as many as eight ships. Alphaliner noted that the deal had gone largely unnoticed until now.

Pricing and delivery schedules have not been disclosed. Alphaliner estimated that a conventionally powered, gearless bangkokmax vessel from a second-tier Chinese yard would cost about US$32 million each, with deliveries expected from 2028, though no timetable has been confirmed.

The ships will be built to a design from China's Ocean Engineering Design and Research Institute, which is part of the CIMC Group. Measuring 179 metres in length with a beam of 28.4 metres, they will feature standard bangkokmax dimensions and an 11-row configuration.

Synelysia was incorporated only in December, leading Alphaliner to suggest that the vessels are intended for the charter market rather than in-house liner operations.

For Xinle, the deal marks another step into the containership sector. The yard previously delivered four 1,170 TEU methanol dual-fuel ships to X-Press Feeders in 2024 and later built four smaller vessels for Indonesian operator Samudera.