Yang Ming has announced it will add a new 11,000 TEU container vessel to THE Alliance’s PS6 trans-Pacific service. The “YM Topmost” ship is being chartered from Shoei Kisen Kaisha and is being introduced to the fleet on September 24, 2021. The PS6 service runs a Qingdao – Ningbo – Pusan – Los Angeles – Oakland – Kobe – Qingdao rotation.
The new addition comes after Yang Ming ordered fourteen 11,000 TEU newbuild ships through long-term charter agreements. The new “YM Topmost” ship is the seventh in the series and will be delivered on September 22, 2021. This type of vessel has a nominal capacity of 11,860 TEU and is equipped with 1,000 plugs for reefer containers. With a length of 333.9m, a width of 48.4m, a draft of 16m, these vessels are designed to cruise at a speed up to 23 knots. The containerships incorporate various environmental features including scrubbers, Water Ballast Treatment Plant and Alternative Marine Power system.
This type of vessel adopts a twin-island design to increase loading capacity and navigational visibility to ensure more efficiency and safety. Yang Ming state that the ship hull form optimisation will further increase energy saving and reduce overall emissions. In addition, the ships are designed with shorter length and beam, which makes them easier to manoeuvre during berthing or departure. The new dimensions enable these ships to call at major ports worldwide and pass through new Panama Canal with no restriction, and facilitate greater flexibility in vessel deployment.
Yang Ming started taking delivery of these new vessels since 2020. A total of six new-build ships have been delivered and deployed on Yang Ming’s trans-Pacific services. The series of new vessels will lower the average age of its global fleet, reduce unit cost and achieve energy efficiency. With the deliveries of these ships, Yang Ming states it can accelerate its fleet optimisation plan and proactively cope with the challenges and stricter environmental regulations faced by the shipping industry.
Source: Yang Ming
