Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) said it will upgrade its Asia-East Coast South America Service (CSW) with the staggered launch of 10 new 5,600-TEU container ships from July 2011 through 2012.
The ships, contracted to South Korea’s Hyundai Samho Heavy Industry, will replace currently operating vessels on the CSW lane. They will have a wider beam and a shallower draft for a higher loading capacity and better compatibility with the shallow-draft ports in South America, and improved fuel efficiency.
From July 2011, MOL will assign an additional ship to the CSW for a total of 13 ships, and introduce a revised schedule.
The new CSW service rotation will be Xingang, Dalian, Qingdao, Pusan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Paranagua, Sao Francisco Do Sul, Santos, Rio De Janeiro, Cape Town, Ngqura, Singapore, Hong Kong and Xingang.
Meanwhile, MOL announced that it will also charter space on the CSW to a consortium composed of NYK Line, K Line, HMM and PIL. Space chartering starts on July 9 with the departure of the vessel MOL Distinction from Shanghai.
