COSCO gets new 8,000-TEU ship for Pacific

COSCO gets new 8,000-TEU ship for Pacific    A new 8,000-TEU-type containership of COSCO Container Lines Tuesday started its maiden voyage from the port of Shenzhen in China.
   The sixth generation containership “COSCO Shenzhen” is now deployed in the carrier’s transpacific SEA service, where it operates alongside another newly built 8,000-TEU-type vessel, the “COSCO Long Beach.”
   The “COSCO Shenzhen” is joining the fleet of the Chinese shipping group under a long-term charter. It was built for the German non-operating owner Nordcapital.
   This is one of the examples of COSCO’s strategy to move “from owning ships to operating ships,” the carrier said.
   Speaking at a ceremony, Capt. Wei Jiafu, president and chief executive officer, said COSCO aims to expand its fleet to 800,000 TEUs by 2010. In June-July, its fleet amounted to about 265,000 TEUs.