Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has once again underlined its seemingly insatiable appetite for new tonnage, declaring and placing orders for a further 10 ultra-large container vessels, its orderbook now larger than the extant fleet of Ocean Network Express (ONE), the world’s sixth largest liner. 

MSC has confirmed options for two 22,000 teu LNG dual-fuel vessels at Hengli Heavy Industry in Dalian, with delivery pencilled in for 2029. 

In parallel, MSC has inked a separate deal for two 21,700 teu LNG-ready containerships at Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard, with handover also expected in 2029. 

The most significant fresh move comes at China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) Jiangsu, where MSC has booked three firm plus three optional 21,000 teu LNG-capable ships. The first trio is scheduled to deliver in 2028, with the options likely to follow if past form is anything to go by. 

No pricing details have been disclosed, but market watchers suggest each vessel could cost in the region of $200m, given current LNG-ready specifications.

This latest flurry of deals adds to MSC’s towering newbuilding pipeline, which now dwarfs that of its rivals. MSC has around 130 ships on order, equivalent to nearly 2.2m teu in capacity and will shortly pass another milestone as its extant giant box fleet nears the 7m teu mark. 

The latest orders also confirm MSC’s growing alignment with LNG as a transitional fuel.