E Higaki News

The Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, resumed its journey to leave the Suez Canal on Wednesday, 106 days after becoming wedged across a southern section of the waterway for nearly a week and disrupting global trade.The Ever Given started to head north in the late morning across the Great Bitter Lake, which separates two sections of the canal and where it had been moored with its Indian crew since being refloated on March 29.It then joined the back of a northbound convoy, passing the site of a ceremony where the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) and representatives for the ship signed the compensation settlement that allowed for its release.Tarek Alzeki…

The cargo vessel that blocked global shipping in the Suez Canal and is caught in a legal dispute in Egypt is fit to sail once approval is given, its technical manager said on Wednesday.The Ever Given was declared suitable for onward passage from the Great Bitter Lake to Port Said, where she would be assessed again before departing for Rotterdam, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) said in a statement.The ship has been in the lake, which sits between two sections of the canal, since being dislodged on March 29.

A container ship heading to Rotterdam ran aground in the Suez Canal on Tuesday, blocking other vessels from transiting one of the world's most important waterways, according to shipping company GAC and shipping data on Refinitiv Eikon.The 200,000-tonne vessel en route from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean ran aground at about 7:40 a.m. (05:40 GMT) on Tuesday after the ship suffered a blackout, GAC said on its website.It added that 15 other ships in the northbound convoy behind the vessel were detained at anchorages waiting for the Canal to be cleared.

The Liberian Registry opened a full-service office in Imabari, Japan, as part of the continued expansion of its presence in Asia.Led by Eiji Okazaki, President of the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR) Japan, the Imabari office is comprised of key staff trained to handle ship registrations and technical issues locally. He has been leading the Tokyo office since 2017, and has helped develop the office to now being one of Liberia’s major and most active locations.The office-warming party was held on October 3…

Taiwanese ocean shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation  and Japan's Shoei Kisen Kaisha signed charter agreements for four new 11,000 TEU containerships in Hong Kong.During the ceremony, the time-charter agreements were signed by Yang Ming’s Chairman Bronson Hsieh and Shoei Kisen’s President Yukito Higaki.The four new vessels will be delivered in the first three quarters of year 2022.In order to enhance the company’s mid- to long-term operational efficiency and competitiveness, Yang Ming continues its fleet optimization plan during recent years.In addition to these four new 11,000 TEU containerships, Yang Ming had ordered another ten 11…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)  announced that 20,000 TEU containership, MOL Truth(Note), one of the world's largest containerships, has received the "Ship of the Year 2017" award from the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE). The award is given for the highest levels of technology, design, and social responsibility among vessels made in Japan by JASNAOE. The MOL Truth earned high evaluations as a cutting-edge "eco ship" that not only exemplifies MOL's safe operation and environmental conservation policies, but also makes full use of the most advanced telecommunication and IoT/AI technologies. In addition, the judges regarded her as a historic milestone in Japan's shipbuilding industry because Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.

Evergreen Marine Corp. (EMC) entered into an agreement with Shoei Kisen Kaisha to charter twelve 11,000 TEU class containerships. The charter parties were signed by EMC Chairman Anchor Chang and President of Shoei Kisen Kaisha Yukito Higaki. The plans to charter these vessels were approved early last month at the board meetings of Greencompass Marine S.A. and Evergreen Marine (Hong Kong) Ltd. respectively. The two subsidiaries of EMC will each charter six vessels. All twelve ships…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)  announced that one of world's largest containerships, the MOL Truth, was delivered at the Saijo Shipyard of Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (President: Yukito Higaki, Headquarters: Imabari-shi, Ehime Prefecture) on October 31. The MOL Truth is the first containership with a capacity of over 20,000 TEU built in Japan, and the fifth in a series of six 20,000 TEU containerships that are operated by MOL. On October 25, it was named the MOL Truth. The new containership is 400m long, with a breadth of 58.5m, and has a loading capacity of 20,182 TEU. It will ply the Asia-Northern Europe trade as part of THE Alliance.

Evergreen Group has signed an order with Japanese shipbuilder Imabari for ten 2,800 TEU class B-type vessels yesterday. These are in addition to the order for ten similar vessels announced last month from CSBC in Taiwan. The latest contract was signed by EMC Chairman Mr. Anchor Chang and Imabari Shipbuilding President Mr. Yukito Higaki. The first ship is planned to be delivered during the first half of 2018 with the completion of the series due by the first half of 2019. All twenty newbuildings are planned to be deployed in the intra-Asia trade. Evergreen's B-type vessels will be 211 meters in length, 32.8 meters wide, and have a design draft of 10 meters with a capacity of around 2,800 TEU.

Evergreen Group signed time charter agreements with Shoei Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (Shoei) to charter a total of 11 18,000 TEU vessels, which include the six units of the same capacity announced by Evergreen Marine Corp. (EMC) and its subsidiary last December. The charter parties were signed by EMC's Chairman Anchor Chang and Shoei's President Yukito Higaki. The ships are planned to be delivered from 2018 through 2019. Evergreen said it will cooperate with Shoei to build the new generation ultra-large containerships, which will measure about 400 meters in length and about 59 meters wide.

On September 4th, Anglo-Eastern celebrate it’s 40th Anniversary, in Hong Kong, concluding with an evening of fun, at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum. Among a host of VIPs, both local and international, Mr. & Mrs. Evert Maréchal, The Consul General of Belgium, along with the Consul General of Japan, Mr Hitoshi Noda and the Consul General of India, Mr. Ravi Sinha & Mr Prashant Agrawal together with the Director of the HK Marine Department, Mr Michael W.L. Wong, JP were welcome by Group CEO, Mr Peter Cremers and the Board of Directors of Anglo-Eastern. Benoit Timmermans     Managing Director           Bocimar Belgium N.V. Andre Goedee              CEO                              Dockwise Shipping B.V.

Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. completed the 95,000 DWT bulk carrier, Raga at its Marugame Shipyard. The bulk carrier is unique in that it has adopted a next-generation superstructure called the Aero-Citadel, which according to the shipyard offers significant advantages in both air resistance and antipiracy measures. The Aero-Citadel has slimly streamlined shape and includes the accommodation quarters, engine room and funnel casing. This superstructure can reduce the wind pressure during navigation by 25-30% based on wind tunnel testing.

ClassNK Starts Joint Research Project with Shipyards on Upgraded Design taking into consideration Ship's Performance in Actual Seas. ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) has started full scale ship tests to develop a feedback scheme on the design for ships performances in actual seas in collaboration with IMABARI SHIPBUILDING CO.,LTD (President and Representative Director: Higaki Yukito) and SAYONAS SHIPBUILDING CO. (President and Representative Director: Ueda Takashi).

Chinese buyers (Winning Group) have acquired two Capes; the modern M/V REGENA N (180,277 dwt 2006 blt Imabari) at region US$ 33.9m and the vintage M/V CAPE AMERICA (149,515 dwt 1991 blt CSBC) at US$ 8.5m. On another sale, undisclosed Greek buyers acquired the M/V IRON YANDI (169,963 dwt 1996 blt Daewoo) at US$ 13.5m. The vintage / crane-fitted Panamax M/V CHIOS JOY (68,762 dwt 1989 blt Hyundai) reported sold to Chinese buyers at US$ 6.5m with drydocking due in July. The modern Supramax M/V DALIAN STAR (56,010 dwt 2007 blt Mitsui) reported sold to Greek buyers at region of US$ 23.5m. The vessel was inspected by a number of Buyers earlier this month in China whilst she was passing her drydocking survey.

Tanker owner-operator AET welcomed the newest addition to its rapidly growing fleet with the naming and delivery of the 107,000 dwt Eagle Turin at the Imabari Shipyard at Koyo Dockyard in Japan. Eagle Turin, which will fly the Singapore flag, becomes the 49th aframax vessel operated by AET and brings the company’s total fleet of tankers to more than 70. Guests of honour at today’s naming ceremony were Andy Viens, General Manager Global Marine for AET customer ConocoPhillips, and his wife Linda Viens.

Stealthgas has entered into an agreement to acquire two contracts for LPG carriers under construction, the M/V Gas Flawless and the M/V Gas Haralambos, for a total consideration of $46m. The Gas Flawless, a 6,300 cbm Fully Pressurized (F.P.) LPG carrier hull number 595, is expected to be delivered to STEALTHGAS ex yard Higaki Zosen, Japan in early February 2007. The Gas Haralambos, a 7,000 cbm Fully Pressurized (F.P.) LPG carrier hull number K408, is expected to be delivered to STEALTHGAS ex yard Kanrei Zosen, Japan in October 2007. STEALTHGAS INC. announced that it has entered into new time charter arrangements for the "Gas Tiny" and the "Gas Oracle", has extended the existing time charter for the "Gas Czar" and has extended the existing bare boat charter for the "Birgit Kosan".

With a twin-masted sterling silver replica of an Imabari sailing ship in front of them to commemorate the event, officials of Lasco Shipping Co. (LASCO) and Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., (Imabari) signed contracts for two 28,200 dwt logger/bulk carriers to be built at the Imabari shipyard. Imabari will deliver the first of the two vessels in February 2004 and the second in April 2004. "We're building on a well established good business relationship with Imabari", noted Anton U. Pardini, Lasco's President, calling attention to vessels in the LASCO fleet that were previously built by Imabari. Pardini went on to comment that "these vessels are designed, sized and built to provide economical service to the bulk commodity trades.