Hong Kong-listed Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) unveiled its latest containership during naming ceremonies held recently for the mega boxship that is set for deployment on the Asia-Europe trade.
Christened May 12 at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard on Geoje Island in South Korea was OOCL Hong Kong, a mammoth vessel considered as one of the largest containerships in the world, having a carrying capacity of 21,413 twenty foot-equivalent units (TEUs).
The newbuild has an overall length of 399.9 meters, breadth of 58.8 meters, depth of 32.5 meters, and a designed draft of 14.5 meters, with a deadweight of about 191,317 metric tons.
In his ceremonial remarks, C. C. Tung, chairman of OOCL’s parent company, Orient Overseas (International) Limited, said this marks the first time that OOCL is receiving newbuildings in the 21,000-TEU size.
“While our industry seems to have the knack to ‘out do’ one another in building larger containerships relatively quickly these days, this project is nonetheless an important moment for us. Faced with increasing competition and un-ending pressure on costs, we need to take the bold step in operating larger size ships of quality and high efficiency in order to stay relevant and compete effectively as a major container shipping company,” Tung added.
Peter Seah, chairman of DBS Bank, which financed the newbuild, said in his speech that it is “the first vessel in the world to cross the 21,000 TEU mark,” and will further strengthen OOCL’s fleet of vessels.
The OOCL Hong Kong will be serving the Asia-Europe trade lane through the LL1 service, and will have a 77-day round trip. Its port rotation is Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Yantian, Singapore, via Suez Canal, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Gdansk, Wilhelmshaven, Felixstowe, via Suez Canal, Singapore, Yantian, and Shanghai.
