Evergreen orders eight 11,000 TEU boxships from SHI for US$752m
Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp (EMC) has agreed to order eight 11,000-TEO containerships from Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for KRW817 billion (US$752 million), according to a SHI regulatory filing.
The contracts were signed by EMC chairman Anchor Chang and SHI president & CEO J O Nam.
Four ships will be owned by EMC's subsidiary, Greencompass Marine S A and a further four by Evergreen Marine (Hong Kong) Ltd. The newbuildings are planned to be delivered from the first quarter of 2020 through the second quarter of 2021.
The shipping line stressed that the aim of the newbuilding programme is to meet future market demand and to continue with its ongoing fleet renewal. "On delivery of these new ships, Evergreen will redeliver older chartered vessels as their charter periods expire to help optimise the efficiency of its operating fleet and enhance the competitiveness of its services," EMC added.
The dimensions the new boxships are 334 metres long, 48.4 metres wide and will be able to carry 19 rows of containers on deck with a scantling draft of 15.5 metres. The vessels are designed to sail at a service speed of 23 knots and can pass through the Panama Canal. The ship hulls are shorter than those of ultra large containerships plying the Asia-Europe trade, making it easier to manoeuvre the ships during berthing or departure and brings greater flexibility in fleet deployment.
The newbuilding design adopts a twin-island concept, separating wheelhouse and accommodation block from engine room and funnel area. The arrangement increases navigation visibility as well as the permissible height of container stacks on deck and therefore the cargo loading capacity.
The ships are equipped with various environmental protection devices, including a ballast water treatment system and alternative maritime power to fully comply with the regulations of international maritime agencies and authorities concerned, the American Journal of Transportation reported.
CMPort pays US$474m for 50pc share in Australia's Port of Newcastle
CHINA's Hong Kong-based port operator China Merchants Port Holdings Co (CMPort) has entered into an agreement to acquire a 50 per cent interest in Australia's Port of Newcastle from China Merchants Union Ltd (CMU) and Gold Newcastle Property Holding Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of CMU.
Under the deal, CMPort or its wholly owned subsidiaries will pay AUD607.5 million (US$473.8 million), including shareholder loans of AUD$162.5 million. The remaining 50 per cent interest in Port of Newcastle is held by TIF Investment Trust, an independent third party.
CMPort said that the acquisition of Port of Newcastle represents a first step for it to invest in the Oceania region, American Shipper reported.
"Given the unique position of the Port of Newcastle with precincts containing land resources, the acquisition will bring opportunities for the company to further achieve its 'Port and Park' development," the company said in a statement, "which aims to operate its core port businesses together with the park development and infrastructure support, thereby achieving a port-centered ecosystem with port operations as its core."
"CMPort believes that the acquisition, which represents a fair and reasonable price, will generate positive long-term financial return," the company added.
The Port of Newcastle is the largest port on Australia's East Coast and is one of the world's leading coal export ports. Newcastle consists of four port zones, including 21 berths, with nine being exclusive coal berths, and a total design capacity of 211 million tonnes.
ONE appeases box shipping sector by making minimal changes
Only"minor changes" are expected to be made to the existing service networks of Japanese shipping lines "K" Line, MOL and NYK when they launch the Ocean Network Express (ONE) on April 1, according to analysis by Alphaliner.
The main changes in the new ONE network would affect intra-Asia routes, where services will be consolidated to avoid overlaps.
The analyst expects the service rationalisations to be limited to slot charters on third-party carriers and Alphaliner does not anticipate "any significant removal of existing 3J tonnage". This will be welcome news for shipowners who had feared the return of a number of ships after the three carriers merge their container shipping operations, reported UK's The Loadstar.
"The Africa and Oceania routes will see no changes, with all current 3J service coverage retained," said the consultant.
It added that ONE's coverage of the Latin American trade would also be "largely retained",with the exception of the launch of a new service from Asia to Central America and the west coast of South America. The move follows restructuring on the tradelane sparked by Maersk Line's acquisition of Hamburg Sud. ONE has announced three new weekly loops deploying 34 vessels of 6,000-13,000 TEU.
ONE members plan to achieve cost savings of US$440 million in their first year of operation and thereafter $1 billion a year. The cost savings will mostly come from operational and back office staff redundancies, along with a reduction in, and consolidation of, port agencies, commercial feeders and service provider fees, as well as cuts to stevedoring rates.
The Loadstar reports that most of the key commercial contacts of "K" Line, MOL and NYK are being retained in ONE to offer customers continuity.
(Source:HKSG-GROUP)
Asia Pacific Shipping
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