Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has expanded its presence in the containership newbuilding market with a fresh series of orders in China.
Shipbuilding sources said the Idan Ofer-led Singapore owner has signed contracts for eight 6,000 teu ships at Hengli Heavy Industry and China Merchants yards, with options secured for additional units.
The ships are priced close to $80m apiece, including scrubbers and a high reefer intake, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2029.
The deal marks a continuation of EPS’s recent push with Chinese yards. The company has already booked up to four LNG dual-fuel suezmax tankers at Hengli, alongside a recently reported series of 1,800 teu boxships at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard and Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding.
In addition to owners looking to secure slots for feeder newbuilds, EPS order underscores rising demand in the 5,000-8,000 teu segment, with Chinese yards competing strongly against Korean rivals, who are focusing on projects in the 9,000 teu to 20,000+ teu range, according to MB Shipbrokers.
