Hapag-Lloyd announced that it has ordered five container vessels with a capacity of 10,500 TEUs each from the South Korean shipyard Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries. The ships are to be built at the yard in Samho, on the south coast of Korea.
The ships are expected to be deployed primarily on South American routes and Hapag-Lloyd stated that it has ordered these ships in order to develop a fleet suited to the expanded Panama Canal when it opens during 2016.
The Hapag-Lloyd ships will have 2,100 reefers plugs and are therefore suitable for transporting perishable goods such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish or pharmaceutical products. In addition, they are equipped with an efficient main engine and hull shape as well as a new lashing and loading system for greater loading flexibility.
“This order for five vessels underlines Hapag-Lloyd’s leading role in the Latin American trade. Following our successful merger with CSAV, we are one of the market leaders in this attractive trade and offer our customers a variety of excellent connections to and from South America,” said Anthony Firmin, Chief Operating Officer at Hapag-Lloyd.
The ships are scheduled for delivery between October 2016 and May 2017.
For more information about trade and logistics in Latin America please take a look at Ti’s latest report Latin American Transport and Logistics 2015.
