SFL secures $750m Hapag-Lloyd deal for six container vessels

The New-York listed shipowner SFL Corporation has agreed a charter extension for six 15,400 TEU container vessels with Hapag-Lloyd AG for additional seven years.

The vessels will then have charter coverage until 2035-2036 at firm rates.

The new time charter contracts will add approximately $750m to SFL’s fixed rate charter backlog, increasing the backlog to approximately $4.6bn.

Ole B. Hjertaker, chief executive officer of SFL Management AS, said in a comment: “We are pleased to further strengthen our long-term relationship with Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container line.”

“The charter extensions demonstrate the value of our high-quality operational platform, which continues to enable us to cultivate durable relationships with industry-leading counterparties. We have added more than $1 billion to our charter backlog during 2026, underpinning our strong earnings visibility and supporting a long-term distribution capacity going forward,” he added.

The company’s fleet of vessels is comprised of tanker vessels, bulkers, container vessels, car carriers and offshore drilling rigs.