COSCO Shipping Bulk, the dry bulker unit of Chinese state conglomerate China Cosco Shipping Corp, has furthered its extensive newbuilding programme by completing contracts for up to 18 more ships.

The company has signed with affiliated yard Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry (Yangzhou) to construct three 208,000 dwt newcastlemax bulk carriers, plus five optional units.

The scrubber-fitted, methanol/ammonia dual fuel-ready vessels are scheduled for delivery between August 2027 and November 2028.

The new order comes only days after CSB secured ten 82,000 dwt newbuildings to be built by Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry, through long-term charter deals with China’s Everbright Financial Leasing.

It is the latest batch of orders from Cosco Shipping, following reports the group plans to order more than100 ships across its subsidiaries.

In August, CSB signed lease contracts for up to 42 new bulker worth around $1.8bn with sister company Cosco Shipping Development. The vessels, being built by Chengxi Shipyard and several Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry units, are mostly expected for delivery by the end of 2027.

These orders add up to 63 firm ships and five optional units for CSB. However, sources say the total newbuilding count has already exceeded 100 vessels, with many orders placed in co-operation with leasing firms but with the end-user being CSB.

Earlier, market insiders forecasted Cosco’s dry bulk fleet alone could have ordering schemes for up to 125 ships.