Samsung delivers largest containership ever

Samsung delivers largest containership ever    Samsung Heavy Industries last week held a christening ceremony for a 9,600-TEU containership and handed it over to China Shipping Group. Samsung said it is the largest ever, eclipsing two 9,300-TEU ships the company built last year.
   This ship is 321 meters long and 46 meters wide and is named 'Xin Los Angeles.' It features a design built to minimize vibration and strength structural safety. The shipyard says angle of the propellers' tip was controlled so that the pressure on the ship could be reduced by as much as 20 percent, and the bow and stern of the ship were strengthened.
   Samsung CEO Kim Jing Wan notes his company has developed a design for a 12,000-TEU containership, and is “trying to get new orders for these ships.”
   Earlier this month, Samsung also said it has received orders for 14 container ships worth $1.5 billion from Naviera Daniela of Panama and Danaos of Greece.
   These containerships comprise eight post-Panamax class ships and six Panamax class ships, and they are scheduled to be delivered at the end of 2009.