Vessel deliveries continue despite the capacity glut

SEVERAL major container shipping lines have taken delivery of additional vessels that will further add capacity to a global fleet that has grown so rapidly that some owners/operators have been forced to lay up ships until demand returns.

Japanese shipping company "K" Line is expected to take delivery soon of the 4,600-TEU Northern Practise, which is the second unit in a series of ten 4,600-TEU ships ordered by various German owners at DSME, after it is received by owner Norddeutsche Reederei Schuldt (NRS).

The vessel will be called the Ankara Bridge by "K" Line, and it is expected to join the carrier's PNW service which is operated by the CKYH Alliance of container shipping lines.

The Northern Practise will follow the Northern Precision, which was delivered in March, also with "K" Line as the charterer.

This comes as the 4,253-TEU YM Keelung built at Samsung has been delivered to Yang Ming Line. The ship is the last of a series of four 4,253-TEU vessels ordered by Synergy Marine Ltd in early 2007, and fixed on 10-year charters to Yang Ming at US$25,500 per day, reports Paris-based AXS Alphaliner.

The YM Keelung is expected to be deployed on the Asia-Black Sea service jointly operated by CSCL, "K" Line, Yang Ming Line, PIL and Wan Hai (ABX/CBX).

In the meanwhile, Maersk Line has taken delivery of the 1,713-TEU Maersk Warsaw, the first of seven ships of this size ordered by Cido Shipping from China Shipbuilding Corp with a long-term charter to Maersk. The ships are part of a wider order by Cido for a total of 17 ships built by China Shipbuilding Corp. between February 2005 and mid-2006.

The Maersk Warsaw is expected to serve the Maersk/Safmarine Indian Ocean islands relay service (IOI). She follows the Wan Hai 172 in the Cido series that was delivered in May.

Finally, Delphis NV has received the 1,440-TEU A La Marine from Peenewerft's improved "1400 Baltic" type that has been adapted to serve the Baltic Sea feeder trade and is equipped with a high ice class (1A/E3) and a fully enclosed bridge.

The A La Marine is expected to join the Baltic feeder network of Team Lines, an affiliate of Delphis, and becomes the largest ship currently deployed on this network.

(Source: News and Data Online)