SIMIC

X-Press Feeders is marking its 15th anniversary in 2022, operating a fleet of 100 vessels ranging in capacity from 540 to 5,400 TEU.

X-Press Feeder contracted 16 containerships each with a capacity of 1,170 TEU, with the order being evenly split between China's New Dayang Shipbuilding Co and Ningbo Xinle Shipbuilding Group.

The first vessels will enter the company's Europe and Americas trade routes by Q4 2023, with all vessels joining the company by the end of 2024.

"We are very excited to commission the building of these ships that will provide cutting edge technology to deliver a balance of environmental sustainability and operational excellence," said X-Press Feeders CEO Shmuel Yoskovitz.

"The X-Press Feeders Group is committed to maintaining an eco-friendly approach to expanding and modernising our global operated fleet." said Mr Yoskovitz.

The company declared that the new feeder ships will be equipped with ultramodern, dual-fuel engines that can operate on regular fuel or green methanol.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Hyundai Mipo Dockyard reported that it received an order for ten feeder class containerships. Although the dockyard reported that it was for an unspecified European shipowner, the order has been linked to France's CMA CGM.

The ten new ships, each with a capacity of 2,000 TEU, are being reported as the most expensive yet ordered, outfitted for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) dual-fuel operations.

Hyundai valued the contract at US$627 million with delivery by the end of 2024.

In September, Evergreen Marine had a $1.1 billion order for feeder vessels from CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company.

Evergreen is building two vessels each with a capacity of 1,800 TEU and two sets of 11 ships each, one class with 2,300 TEU and the other class with 3,000 TEU.

China's Jiangnan Shipyard also delivered the last of five feeder vessels to Maersk. The Nuuk Maersk is a 2,200 TEU feeder that is 564 feet long, with the five ships delivered between April and November.