GL Celebrates Anniversary in Dalian

"Asia's remarkable economic development offers a great platform for the maritime industry," said Dr. Hermann J. Klein, Member of the Executive Board Germanischer Lloyd, at the society's 140th anniversary dinner taking place in Dalian. The important and strongly developed industrial North East China area was chosen to celebrate GL's jubilee together with representatives of the shipowners, shipyards, supply industry and administrations of the maritime arena. As a technical supervisory organization with a global network, the society is responsible for the technical safety of more than 6,100 ships with over 66 million GT. GL is authorized by more than 124 flag states - amongst others Hongkong / China - to perform statutory duties. In 1870, just three years after its foundation, Germanischer Lloyd opened its first office in China. Since then the society has built up a strong network of more than 200 experts who serve shipyards, supply industry and shipping companies. More than 550 containerships, multi-purpose vessels, bulk carriers and oil/chemical tankers are presently being built or in the GL orderbook at over 70 shipyards. In the last ten years, the GL station in Dalian has grown to a team of 20 surveyors and supporting staff. Twelve shipyards in the area are working on newbuildings with class Germanischer Lloyd. In addition, activities in the certification of materials and components are steadily increasing. In May, the largest containership ever built in China, Xin Ya Zhou, was launched. The 8,530 TEU vessel constructed by Hudong-Zhonghua shipyards for the China Shipping Container Line (CSCL), is 334 m long, 42.8 m wide and has a 14.65 m draft. It is scheduled for delivery on September 30, 2007. The newbuilding is classed by Germanischer Lloyd and China Classification Society. Four additional ships of the same series will be classed with GL only. In addition, a VLCC vessel built by Nantong COSCO Ship Steel Structure Co., Ltd. in Jiangsu was launched for Gulf Sheba Shipping Ltd. This GL classed double hull oil tanker has a capacity of 160,322 GT and is 321 m long, 60 m wide and 29.3 m draft.