Hapag-Lloyd Buys 2 Ships for S.America Trade
Acquisition of two modern wide-beam vessels for first deployment in the South American business; two more identical ships chartered; four efficient wide-beam vessels chartered for Mediterranean–Canada service
Hapag-Lloyd has taken delivery of two wide-beam 3,500-TEU ships from the Dutch shipping company NileDutch for an undisclosed purchase price. The two 2015-built containerships will initially be deployed in South America, and Hapag-Lloyd is also chartering two more identical ships from NileDutch’s same series, both of which will be deployed together with their sister ships.
The wide-beam design of the hull means that the ships maintain a comparatively high slot capacity despite having a lower draught, thereby making them particularly well suited for ports with shallow water as for example some South American ports.
“For Hapag-Lloyd, these state-of-the-art and highly efficient vessels represent an important enhancement of the fleet,” said Anthony J. Firmin, COO of Hapag-Lloyd. “Alongside our market leadership in certain trades, such as the Atlantic, we also strengthen our position in an attractive niche market further such as the cabotage business in South America, where we will be initially deploying the new vessels.”
Additionally, four more wide-beam ships are being chartered in to the Hapag-Lloyd fleet for services between the Mediterranean and Montreal, Canada. The ships, which are two years old and have an operating capacity of some 2,700 TEU, will replace the existing, older tonnage. They are equipped for sailing through ice and also have a comparatively low draught, which is an advantage for travelling on the St. Lawrence River.
