Carsten Rehder of Germany has inked a deal worth up to $200m for up to four wide-beam containerships to be chartered to German liner operator Hamburg Sud.

A firm order for two 3,800-teu newbuildings has been placed with China’s Taizhou Catic Shipbuilding Heavy Industry with options for a further two vessels.

The contract marks a step forward for both the owner and the yard as the vessels are twice the capacity of the largest ships currently in Carsten Rehder’s 19-strong fleet of containerships of up to 1,800 teu.

It is also the first-ever boxship deal secured by the Chinese yard since its establishment in 2008, during which time it has focussed on building panamax and post-panamax bulkers.

No price has been disclosed but shipbuilding players suggest it to be approaching $50m with deliveries in January and March 2013.

Managing director Thomas Rehder says that the wide-beam vessels will operate with electronic engines as “fuel efficiency is the big issue”.