Chinese dry bulk powerhouse COSCO Shipping Bulk has placed a new order for four 210,000-dwt Newcastlemax bulk carriers at CSSC’s Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding.

The contract was signed on 16 July in Qingdao, with China Shipbuilding Trading and ICBC Financial Leasing also party to the deal. No price or delivery schedule has been disclosed, though shipbuilding sources expect the quartet to be handed over in 2029.

The vessels will measure 299.90 metres in length, with a beam of 50 metres and a moulded depth of 26.30 metres. They feature methanol- and ammonia-ready designs and will comply with IMO Tier III NOx limits and EEDI Phase 3 requirements.

Second Beihai order this year

The deal marks COSCO Shipping Bulk’s second Newcastlemax order at Beihai in 2026. In January, the company signed for three sisterships at the same yard, also scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2029. Those earlier vessels were designed to carry containers alongside traditional dry bulk and general cargoes.

COSCO Shipping Bulk had previously booked two 209,800-dwt units at Beihai for delivery in 2027.

Beihai extends newcastlemax dominance

The 21,000-dwt Newcastlemax is Beihai’s signature product. According to Clarksons, the shipbuilder currently holds the world’s largest orderbook in the 100,000-dwt-and-above bulker segment, with 77 vessels totalling 18.3 million dwt on its books—more than any other single shipyard globally.

Including the latest order, Beihai’s total orderbook stands at 86 vessels across all segments, with deliveries scheduled through 2030.

The newbuilding drive is part of a wider fleet expansion across the COSCO group. Earlier this month, COSCO Shipping Development unveiled an RMB8.66bn ($1.27bn) programme covering 24 bulkers, which will be leased to a COSCO Shipping Bulk subsidiary on 20-year charters.