Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), Hong Kong’s biggest box line, reported a 0.7 percent fall in volume for the fourth quarter of 2012 year-over-year. But revenue for the quarter rose by 5.6 percent to US$1.4 billion from the same quarter in 2011.
With an increase of 5.7 percent in loadable capacity, quarterly load factor was 4.6 percent lower than for the corresponding period in 2011. Average revenue per 20-foot-equivalent unit (TEU) improved by 6.4 percent.
For the full year of 2012, total volume went up by 3.7 percent and total revenue by 6.7 percent to $5.9 billion compared to 2011. Loadable capacity increased by 7.6 percent, and the overall load factor was 2.8 percent lower. Average revenue per TEU increased by 2.9 percent.
Meanwhile, OOCL christened on January 18 two 13,208-TEU vessels at the Geoje Island Shipyard in South Korea, the first time the company is taking delivery of newbuilds of this size.
The first ship was christened OOCL Brussels, and the second, NYK Helios. The two are part of a fleet of 10 vessels of this size ordered from the Samsung shipyard.
OOCL Brussels will be deployed on Loop 5 of the Asia-Europe service and will have a 77-day round trip. The port rotation is Kwangyang, Pusan, Yangshan, Shekou, Yantian, Singapore, Suez Canal, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Thamesport, Suez Canal, Singapore, and back to Kwangyang.
NYK Helios will be chartered out to NYK and deployed on Loop 4 of the Asia-Europe service. The port rotation is Ningbo, Yangshan, Yantian, Singapore, Suez Canal, Le Havre, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Suez Canal, Jeddah, Singapore, Yantian, and back to Ningbo on a 77-day round trip.
