HOEGH ORDERS THREE CAR CARRIERS

HOEGH ORDERS THREE CAR CARRIERS    Leif Hoegh & Co., the parent company of roll-on/roll-off specialist HUAL, has ordered three pure car truck carriers at a cost of about $50 million per vessel.
   The Korean shipyard Daewoo will build the three 6,100-car-equivalent-unit pure car truck carrier ships. They are scheduled for delivery in the first, second and third quarters of 2005. The agreement also provides for optional vessels.
   Hoegh said that the order forms part of the renewal of HUAL’s fleet, which includes a number of vessels built in 1980/81, and which will be 25 years old in 2005/2006.
   “HUAL is also experiencing a substantial demand for flexible pure car truck carrier vessels in most of its services and some increase in fleet capacity is therefore necessary,” the Norwegian shipping company said.
   HUAL’s fleet will increase from the present 26 vessels to 32 vessels, including the three new ships and three other vessels on long term charters from 2003.