SHANGHAI-LISTED Ningbo Ocean Shipping Co (NBOSCO) has signed for the building of up to eight feeder boxships at Taizhou Jianxing Heavy Industry.

The subsidiary of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Group has placed a firm order for four 1,058 TEU ships with options for four more.

No price has been revealed for the units that fetch around US$24 million each. Deliveries should start from the end of 2024, the company said, reports Singapore's Splash 247.

NBOSCO raised $261 million from an initial public offering in Shanghai last year to expand its fleet of containerships and bulk carriers, and buy 10,000 TEU of containers, according to its prospectus.

The company is ranked 29th on Alphaliner with 75 ships, of which 31 are owned, and a total carrying capacity of 62,251 TEU. Three 1,400 TEU ships are also expected to be delivered from Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu this year.