By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar)– Hapag-Lloyd has actually taken distribution of the last of 17 ULCVs purchased by UASC in 2013 as “some of the greenest and largest container vessels in the world”.

The 15,000 teu Al Jmeliyah became part of an order of 6 19,900 teu as well as 11 15,000 teu ULCVs from South Korean shipyard Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

The $2bn order was for the very first “LNG-ready” ULCVs, constructed to reduce the-then runaway price of oil. However, oil costs ultimately fell down as well as the conversion to LNG was no more financially feasible.

UASC asserted at the time the bigger vessels would certainly enhance its competiveness on the Asia-Europe profession, as well as it might improve its placement in various other vital professions by running the smaller sized ULCVs on those courses.

The ULCVs were a piece de resistance for Hapag-Lloyd in its requisition of UASC, as the German service provider’s biggest vessels were just 13,000 teu as well as progressively uncompetitive on the Asia-Europe profession.

In a declaration today, Hapag-Lloyd’s principal running police officer, Anthony Firmin, claimed: “With this newbuild, our fleet– among the youngest as well as most modern-day in the market with an ordinary age of simply 7.1 years– is currently total.

“We have no plans to order any more newbuilds in the foreseeable future,” he included.

In enhancement to acquiring the ULCVs, Hapag-Lloyd took control of 8 6,920 teu vessels as well as 10 4,100 teu panamax ships. It has actually battled to release the last within its network as well as today introduced it would certainly junk 3.

The service provider claimed they were marketed on problem they were ditched at backyards in China as well as Turkey “specially equipped and certified for safe and environmentally sound recycling”.

It claimed this was an extension of its Ship Recycling Policy which specifies that ships“must be recycled in a safe and environmentally friendly manner” Shipowners usually acquire much less from “middle-men” money customers if they state which breaker’s backyard is to be utilized, nevertheless presently require for steel scrap is high as well as the differential will certainly have been much less than common.

Meanwhile, the Al Jmeliyah will certainly be phased right into the FE4 Asia-North Europe solution of THE Alliance this weekend break.

The assimilation of UASC right into Hapag-Lloyd has actually come with some significant price, confirmed by the German service provider only simply scratching an earnings in the 2nd quarter as well as continuing to be in deficiency for the six-month duration.

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