(Yicai) March 4 -- China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the country’s largest shipbuilding conglomerate, has received an order for large container ships worth between CNY18 billion and CNY19 billion (USD2.5 billion and USD2.6 billion).

CSSC’s subsidiary Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) recently signed a contract to build several 18,000-twenty-foot-equivalent-unit liquefied natural gas dual-fuel container ships, the Shanghai-based parent company announced yesterday. The vessels are expected to be delivered in 2028 and 2029.

The deal, which is an export order and will be settled in US dollars, will deepen the cooperation between CSSC and the client, which is a long-term partner of Jiangnan Shipyard, the firm added.

CSSC did not mention how many ships were ordered this time, but based on the average price of USD204 million to USD216 million per vessel, Jiangnan Shipyard will likely build around 12 LNG dual-fuel container ships.

The vessels under this contract are independently developed and designed by Jiangnan Shipyard, CSSC noted. They meet the latest international manufacturing specifications for large green energy container ships, and their comprehensive performance indicators are within the international advanced level.

The deal will also expand Jiangnan Shipyard’s large container ship portfolio, bringing benefits to the future development of more innovative products and positively impacting the company’s future operating performance, CSSC pointed out.

CSSC’s shares [SHA: 600150] were trading up 0.2 percent at CNY30.53 (USD4.19) as of 11 a.m. in Shanghai today.

Editor: Futura Costaglione