COSCO Guangdong Shipyard has completed the first of at least two projects converting Supramax bulk carriers into containerships.
The 53,000 dwt bulker Pu Tuo Hai entered the Guangzhou shipyard on June 10. Just over three months later, the vessel emerged under the new name Singapore River as a containership with a capacity of 2,528 TEU.
Built in 2007 to the Diamond 53 design, the vessel has already secured employment with X-Press Feeders. After a ballast voyage to Ningbo, it is expected to join a scheduled liner service in October.
During the conversion, the vessel’s four cargo cranes were removed and its wheelhouse was raised by two decks. The cargo holds were fitted with cell guides, allowing containers to be stacked up to seven tiers high.
Singapore River’s draught was reduced from 12.6 to 12 metres, lowering its deadweight from 53,000 to 48,000 tonnes. The vessel’s length and beam remain unchanged at 190 metres and 32.29 metres respectively.
The original MAN B&W 6S50MC-C main engine was retained. The vessel has a maximum speed of approximately 15.5 knots—relatively slow for a containership but considered sufficient for short regional and feeder services.
Conversion work is already underway on a second similar vessel. Jiu Hua Hai, another Diamond 53 bulker, is currently at COSCO Guangdong and is expected to begin a charter with X-Press Feeders in late October or early November.
This is not the first conversion of its kind completed in China. Earlier in 2026, Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard transformed the 2012-built Kamsarmax bulker Guang Qi De Er Ta into a containership with a capacity of 3,607 TEU. Its seven cargo holds were converted into 13 container bays.
The industry is also moving in the opposite direction by developing bulk carriers capable of carrying containers when required. COSCO Shipping Bulk has ordered three versatile Newcastlemax vessels of 210,000 dwt each, designed to transport bulk, general and containerised cargo.
Converting existing bulk carriers allows operators to introduce container capacity without waiting for new vessels to be built, while extending the commercial life of ships already in service.
