Hamburg-based shipowner Peter Döhle Schiffahrts is expanding its container fleet with an order for four feedermax vessels in China.
Shipbuilding sources report that the 2,900 teu ships have been booked at China’s CSSC Guangzhou Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, with deliveries scheduled between late 2027 and 2028.
The vessels will be of Chittagongmax dimensions and scrubber-fitted, though their employment plans have not yet been confirmed, Aplhaliner said, while shipbrokers note the order may form part of a fleet renewal, as some of Döhle’s ships of similar tonnage approach replacement age.
Earlier in 2025, Döhle was linked to a separate order for five LNG dual-fuel 8,400 teu containerships at Guangzhou Shipyard International, priced at about $121m each. The German owner has also been active in the bulk sector, recently acquiring two modern kamsarmax vessels.
Last year, Peter Döhle, which claims control of more than 300 tramp-owned containerships, ordered four 14,000 teu vessels at CSSC-affiliated Hudong-Zhonghua, marking its first newbuild program in nearly nine years. Those ships, costing about $150m each, are scrubber-fitted, methanol-ready, and scheduled for delivery in 2026–2027.
The latest orders add to a raft of newbuilding contracts clinched this year for similar teu tonnage by the likes of Chartworld, Arkas, Costamare, Interasia Line, Ciner Group, Minerva Marine, Eastern Pacific Shipping and XT Shipping, among others, highlighting continued demand for modern, fuel-efficient feeder and mid-sized containerships across the European and Asia trades.
