239 End-of-life Ships Sold for Breaking in 1Q
According to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform 239 end-of-life ships were sold for breaking in the first quarter of 2016. Seventy-nine per cent of end-of-life ships ended up on South Asian beaches, making this quarter one of the worst ones in the last years for non-beaching yards around the world. Out of 189 vessels that reached the shores of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, 127 were bulk carriers. As opposed to 2015 trends, India has again become the favorite final destination. 68 ships sold to South Asia in the first quarter of 2016 were owned by EU owners. Greek owners topped the list with 40 ships sold to South Asian breakers. German owners followed with 16 ships.
HMD Holds Naming Ceremony for Containership
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard held a naming ceremony for a 4300 TEU Class Containership, Hull No. 0408, the first of five 4300 TEU Panamax containerships ordered by E.R. Schiffahrt GmbH & CIE. KG of Germany. This containership was named Ital Mattina Mattina by the ship owner. Senior Executive Vice President of HMD, Kim Choon-gon, and many representatives of E.R. Shiffahrt attended the ceremony. On June 25th there was another naming ceremony for Hull No. 0320. This vessel is the second of two 3450 TEU Class containerships ordered by Rickmers Reederei GmbH & CIE. KG of Germany. The ship owner named the ship Ital Fortuna and it was delivered on June 27th.
Hanjin Wins $294M In Orders
Hanjin Heavy Industries won orders totaling $294 million to build 10 ships for a Dutch firm, a German firm and one other European company. Hanjin Heavy said in a statement that Dutch firm Vroon B.V. ordered two 1,600 teu containerships and two 30,000 dwt chemical ships, worth a total of $96 million. It said Germany's Rickmers Reederei GmbH & Cie KG had ordered four 1,200-teu containerships worth $78 million and one other European company had ordered two 5,600 teu containerships worth $120 million. Hanjin declined to give the name of the other European company. Officials said the company has received orders for 20 ships so far this year, including these 10 ships, and had reached its target for the year of $550 million worth of orders so far.
