Newcomer Gerchicon inks order for nine feeder boxships

Deal marks further success for Zhoushan Changhong shipyard.
A new Sino-German company called Gerchicon has ordered nine 2,300-teu containerships.
It has inked a contract with Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard in China for three ships and two sets of options of three vessels each, according to Alphaliner.
Gerchicon was incorporated this month in Rhauderfehn in the Leer district of Lower Saxony and its listed with two Chinese managing directors.
The price of the newbuildings is not disclosed. But the deal would mark the third significant container feedership order for Zhoushan Changhong in the past month.
TradeWinds reported in November that Malaysian container line MTT Shipping had inked a deal with the Chinese shipyard for two 1,800-teu vessels with delivery in February and October 2020.
That deal includes options for a further four ships, which are designed to operate on cabotage services between West and East Malaysia.
Alphaliner lists MTT as having two Bengalmax vessels of 1,162 teu purchased from German interests for delivery in 2020.
Zhoushan Changhong also won a further order in November from Singapore’s Sea Consortium for a pair of 2,700-teu Chittagong-Max vessels for delivery in November 2020 and March 2021, with options for four more vessels.
The vessels are specifically designed to serve Chittagong, where vessels are restricted to a maximum length overall (loa) of 190-metre and a draft of 9.5-metre.