Thailand's RCL Confirms Order for 2 Additional 9,200 TEU Container Ships, Total Order Value USD 213 Million

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 6, Thailand's Regional Container Lines (RCL) submitted its Q3 2026 business analysis report to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, disclosing orders for 12 new container ships during the quarter, including 4 1,900 TEU feeder vessels, 6 3,100 TEU container ships, and 2 9,200 TEU neo-Panamax container ships. Among them, the order for the two 9,200 TEU vessels is valued at approximately USD 213 million, with a per-vessel cost of approximately USD 106.5 million, scheduled for delivery in 2030 and 2031 respectively. The vessels will be phased into operation starting from 2028.

The 12 new vessels are divided into three classes by container capacity, with a combined nominal capacity of approximately 44,600 TEU. Among them, the 1,900 TEU vessels will primarily serve regional feeder transport, the 3,100 TEU vessels will target regional and short-to-medium-haul routes, and the 9,200 TEU vessels belong to the neo-Panamax large container ship class. The combination of different vessel types will expand RCL's capacity coverage, enabling the company to deploy vessels of different sizes according to route distance, port conditions, and cargo volumes.

RCL has previously continued to advance the procurement of vessels of various specifications. In September 2026, the company signed construction contracts with Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, for 4 3,100 TEU container ships, expanding its related shipbuilding program at the yard to 16 vessels across three vessel types. In August 2026, the company also ordered 4 1,900 TEU feeder container ships. The 12-vessel procurement plan disclosed in the third quarter, together with the vessels ordered in previous batches, forms part of the company's new round of fleet renewal arrangements, though each batch of orders should be counted separately.

In November 2025, RCL signed construction contracts with South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for two 14,000 TEU container ships, valued at approximately KRW 4.353 trillion, equivalent to approximately USD 299 million. This was RCL's first newbuilding collaboration with the yard. Compared with these two large vessels, the 9,200 TEU vessels have lower container capacity but still belong to the neo-Panamax class, capable of covering capacity demand between large-scale ocean-going transport and regional port services.

RCL's third-quarter operating data also reflects the market environment in which the company's fleet investment is taking place. For the third quarter ended September 30, 2026, the company achieved a net profit of THB 3.262 billion, up 64.7% from THB 1.981 billion in the second quarter; freight revenue increased by THB 1.05 billion quarter-on-quarter, a gain of 10.4%. During the same period, cargo liftings declined 4.1% quarter-on-quarter, while the average freight rate rose from USD 552 per TEU in the second quarter to USD 624. The company stated that congestion at major ports and the conflict in the Middle East affected vessel turnaround and capacity deployment, with freight rate increases and cargo volume declines occurring simultaneously.

In the first nine months of 2026, RCL recorded a cumulative net profit of THB 6.914 billion, up 8.6% year-on-year; freight revenue increased 7.5% year-on-year, and the average freight rate rose from USD 420 per TEU in the same period last year to USD 520. However, cargo liftings during the same period decreased by 232,000 TEU, a decline of 11.7%, while freight and operating costs increased 7.1% year-on-year. In the third quarter, the company adopted measures including adjusting routes, avoiding conflict zones, and redeploying capacity to routes with higher demand, while continuing to advance new ship orders.

In addition to the new vessel orders, RCL held a naming ceremony on September 24, 2026, in Guangzhou, China, for three 4,488 TEU container ships, namely "Anitta Bhum," "Benyapar Bhum," and "Chantisa Bhum." These three vessels belong to a previously ordered series of 10 sister ships. Among them, "Anitta Bhum" has already been deployed on the route connecting East Asia and Latin America; the other two are scheduled to join the fleet in the fourth quarter of 2026, serving the Asia-Indian Subcontinent route and the South China-Southeast Asia route, respectively. This batch of 4,488 TEU vessels and the 12 new orders belong to different procurement batches.