New Mega Containership for Hapag-Lloyd

Tsingtao Express deployed between Europe and Far East Hapag-Lloyd AG has expanded its fleet with another containership. The Tsingtao Express was named in Qingdao, China. It can carry 8,750 standard containers. The Tsingtao Express, named in the Port of Qingdao, is the second newbuilding that Hapag-Lloyd has integrated into its fleet in 2007. Five more vessels will follow until 2008. The Hamburg-based shipping line now has a globally deployed fleet comprising about 140 ships capable of transporting a total of over 467,000 boxes.

The Tsingtao Express bears the old name of Qingdao, by which the city is also still known in Europe today.

The Tsingtao Express will be deployed in the context of the Grand Alliance. In the Europe-Asia liner service, she will call at the ports Singapore, Kaohsiung, Pusan, Dalian, Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Port Kelang and Jeddah, as well as Rotterdam, Hamburg and Southampton. She can complete a round voyage in 63 days.

The new giant containership has a length of 335m and a width of 43m. The vessel can carry 8,750 standard containers and has 730 reefer plugs. Hapag-Lloyd has a total of 65,000 refrigerated containers, making it no. 2 in this segment worldwide. The ship was ceremoniously named in the presence of 150 guests from Asia, including the German ambassador in Beijing, Dr. Volker Stanzel, and representatives of the builders Hyundai Heavy Industries. The patron is Vibeke Larsen, wife of Kurt K. Larsen, CEO of the Danish forwarder DSV, which is one of the market leaders in Europe and for whom Hapag-Lloyd is an important partner for overseas shipments.