The Offen Group of Germany is looking to return to the construction of new container ships after more than a decade of absence. The group is currently negotiating with Guangzhou Shipyard International in China for an order of two firm container ships and two optional ships with a capacity of 7000 TEU.
Details of the Negotiations
According to reports, these negotiations are currently in the early stages, and no contracts or pricing details have been confirmed. The delivery time for these ships is projected for 2030. This project could be considered the first new container ship construction program for the Offen Group in over 10 years and would add fresh capacity to the group’s fleet.
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Current Status of Offen's Fleet
The Offen Group is recognized as the largest owner of inactive container ships in Germany, managing over 40 vessels, including ships of Panamax, post-Panamax, and super post-Panamax sizes. Currently, the company’s fleet includes post-Panamax ships with a capacity of 8084 TEU built in 2005 and 2006, as well as 14036 TEU ships from 2010 and 2011.
This new order also signifies Offen's return to the investment path it had embarked on a few years ago. In 2019, the Offen Group sold its tanker management business, CPO Tankers, to Zeaborn to focus on the ownership and management of post-Panamax container ships.
Management Changes
The Offen Group was founded in 1971 by Klaus-Peter Offen and handed over daily leadership to Arne Vespermann, former manager of Hamburg Süd, in 2022. Meanwhile, Guangzhou has become one of the busiest and most active commercial shipyards in China this year, although most new orders have been allocated to tankers, RO-RO, and RO-PAX ships.
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