Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, began construction of a new container vessel on Monday, March 23.
The ship is the final unit in a series of four 11,000TEU container vessels ordered from SWS by Thai container liner company the RCL Group in April 2025.
SWS is also building two 4,400TEU vessels for RCL. All four of the 11,000TEU ships are scheduled to be delivered in 2027 while the 4,400TEU ships will follow in 2028.
The company is also set to take delivery of two 4,300TEU feeder ships during the 2027-2028 timeframe. These other vessels will be built by China's Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding and will feature engines that can be modified to allow operation on low-emission alternative fuels.
The 11,000TEU ships to be built by SWS will boast flexible route planning capability as well as energy conservation and environmental protection features. These will enable the vessels to comply with IMO Tier III NOx emissions requirements as well as EEDI Phase III standards.