Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has moved to deepen its bet on LNG-fueled tonnage， exercising options for eight more 11，500 teu dual-fuel containerships at China’s Penglai Jinglu Shipyard.

The latest deal lifts the series to 16 sister vessels， following an initial order placed in 2024. Market sources put contract prices at around $135m to $140m per ship， taking the total value of the programme to roughly $2.2bn.

Deliveries are scheduled to run through 2029.

The additional ships are understood to mirror the original batch in both design and specification， with LNG dual-fuel propulsion forming the backbone of the series， underlining MSC’s continued willingness to back alternative-fuel tonnage at scale， even as the liner market works through a softer phase.

The Jinglu deal also adds to a steady flow of recent newbuilding activity by the world’s largest containerline. MSC has recently returned to the mid-sized segment， signing up for newbuilds at China’s Yangzhou Guoyu Shipyard. Market talk points to at least two firm 5，000 teu ships， with options that could take the tally higher. Those conventionally fuelled vessels are due for delivery from the second half of 2028， with some brokers suggesting pricing could be below the $60m mark， reflecting relatively straightforward designs with limited reefer intake.

MSC already holds the industry’s largest orderbook， with more than 2.1m teu on order — close to 30% of its existing fleet capacity. The bulk of that pipeline is concentrated in ships of 10，000 teu and above， stretching up to 24，000 teu. At the same time， the Geneva-based carrier has remained active in the secondhand market， picking up sub-10，000 teu vessels over the past four years to support regional and feeder trades.