Ocean Network Express has returned to South Korea\u2019s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for another batch of LNG-capable containerships, pressing ahead with its long-term alternative-fuel fleet renewal strategy despite scaling back earlier expansion plans.<\/p>\n
Market sources identified the Singapore-headquartered liner operator as the buyer behind a $1.22bn newbuilding contract announced by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering last week.<\/p>\n
The deal covers six 15,900 teu LNG dual-fuel containerships, with deliveries scheduled between November 2028 and September 2029. The vessels are priced at roughly $203.5m each.<\/p>\n
The latest order adds to ONE\u2019s growing portfolio of alternative-fuel tonnage spread across yards in both South Korea and China.<\/p>\n
According to MB Shipbrokers, discussions surrounding the latest project had been ongoing for several months and form part of the carrier\u2019s broader strategy to modernise its fleet with lower-emission vessels. The order is understood to be smaller than ONE\u2019s original ambitions, with the carrier previously linked to plans for as many as 22 dual-fuel ships.<\/p>\n
ONE has been among the most active carriers in the dual-fuel containership market over the past three years. The liner operator has placed orders for more than 30 dual-fuel vessels at yards in China and South Korea, including methanol-fuelled<\/a> 13,000 teu and 13,000-plus teu ships at Jiangnan Shipyard and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, alongside a separate series of LNG-fuelled<\/a> 15,000-plus teu vessels at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.<\/p>\n The latest order strengthens long-standing ties between ONE and the South Korean shipbuilder, which has secured a sizeable share of recent LNG dual-fuel containership contracts from major global liners.<\/p>\n Formed by Japanese shipping majors Mitsui OSK Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and K Line, ONE has steadily expanded its fleet and now ranks sixth on the Alphaliner list of the world\u2019s largest container carriers. The company currently operates around 280 vessels with a combined fleet capacity exceeding 2m teu.<\/p>\n