According to shipbroking and market sources, German shipowner Offen Group is planning to return to the container ship newbuilding market, which would mark its first newbuilding order in more than a decade.

Sources said the company is in talks with GSI, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), to order 2 firm plus 2 optional 7,000 TEU container ships, with delivery scheduled for 2030. If the order is ultimately placed, it will mark the Hamburg-based owner's return to the newbuilding market after a long absence.

According to information on Offen Group's official website, the company currently operates 37 container ships with capacity ranging from 3,500 TEU to 14,000 TEU, built between 2005 and 2018. However, its post-Panamax vessels are all over 12 years old, indicating a clear need for fleet renewal.

Offen Group's history dates back to 1971, when founder Claus-Peter Offen purchased his first vessel in Hamburg, Germany, and established Reederei Claus-Peter Offen, which later developed into Offen Group. In 2022, he handed over management of Offen Group to Dr. Arnt Vespermann, completing a leadership transition.

From a market perspective, newbuilding demand for container ships across all size segments remains firm. MB Shipbrokers noted in its latest weekly report that a series of projects in the 7,000 to 15,000 TEU segment are still under discussion. With available yard slots increasingly booked through 2030, competition for "early slots" is expected to remain intense in the coming weeks.

Previously, Maersk confirmed an order for 26 large container ships as part of its ongoing fleet renewal program; MSC is also accelerating expansion, having continued to order LNG dual-fuel container ships since 2025, covering approximately 11,400 to 22,000 TEU vessel types, with some vessels expected to be delivered starting from 2028; CMA CGM is likewise advancing fleet renewal, having ordered 12 18,000 TEU dual-fuel LNG container ships in 2025, plus another 10 22,000 TEU dual-fuel vessels, expected for delivery between 2028 and 2029.

The intensive ordering by major liner operators further confirms the strong demand in the container ship newbuilding market.