Wan Hai Lines orders six 11,000-TEU ships from Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, enhancing their partnership and commitment to eco-friendly shipping.
Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) with a product range spanning 7,000 to 20,000 TEU, has confirmed a new construction agreement with Taiwan-based carrier Wan Hai Lines, reinforcing a partnership that began in 2024.
On September 10, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, together with China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. (CSTC), signed a contract with Wan Hai Lines for six 11,000-TEU container ships, advancing a collaboration built on prior deliveries and repeat business.
The order is priced between $118 million and $124 million per vessel, bringing the total value to between $708 million and $744 million. Wan Hai Lines had first announced its intention to place the order on August 12, specifying vessels engineered as methanol and liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel-ready ships. The September signing formalizes that commitment.
The six-ship contract forms part of a broader ordering campaign at the yard. To date this year, Wan Hai Lines has ordered eight container ships across two designs at Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding - one 9,200-TEU vessel and seven 11,000-TEU vessels - with a combined value ranging from $928 million to $980 million. The two 2026 orders represent the second and third collaborations between the two companies.
The relationship dates to 2024, when Wan Hai Lines purchased two 7,000-TEU container ships from Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. The shipbuilder said the vessels were delivered in the first half of 2026 and have received positive operational feedback. Established in 1965, Wan Hai Lines is a long-standing Asian carrier with an intra-Asia and global service network.
Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding describes the 11,000-TEU container ship as a new-generation, environmentally focused, medium-sized vessel that it independently developed and designed. The design meets Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) Phase III standards - the strictest current tier of the International Maritime Organization's efficiency requirements for new ships - and accommodates both methanol and LNG dual-fuel systems.
That dual-fuel-ready configuration gives owners a clear pathway to transition to cleaner fuels over the vessel's operating life, helping reduce future carbon-emission costs as regulations tighten. Each hull is equipped with a desulfurization tower and a range of energy-saving and drag-reduction devices intended to optimize speed and fuel efficiency. For cargo owners weighing regulatory exposure and long-term freight costs, this tonnage points to more predictable, compliance-ready capacity entering the trades.
