HAPAG-LLOYD JOINS 8,000-TEU VESSEL ORDERS STAMPEDE

HAPAG-LLOYD JOINS 8,000-TEU VESSEL ORDERS STAMPEDE    Hapag-Lloyd Container Line has joined a rapidly growing group of shipowners who have ordered the new generation of very large containerships of more than 7,000 TEUs.
   The 7,400 to 8,100 TEU vessel size has become a common dimension for the largest containerships ordered by container shipping line and non-operating owners.
   Hapag-Lloyd ordered the three ships of about 8,000-TEU from Hyundai Merchant Marine, for delivery in 2005 and 2006, when they will become the biggest containerships in its fleet. A spokesman for Hapag-Lloyd told American Shipper that the size of the ships will be “over 8,000 TEUs,” but did not offer a specific figure.
   At the end of this year and in early 2004, Hapag-Lloyd will also receive four new boxships with capacities of 6,750 TEUs.
      OOCL, a partner of Hapag-Lloyd within the Grand Alliance, has eight vessels of 8,000-TEU capacity on order from Samsung Heavy Industries. P&O Nedlloyd, another Grand Alliance line, has ordered vessels with a stated capacity of 7,400 TEUs.
   In addition to the Grand Alliance carriers Hapag-Lloyd, P&O Nedlloyd and OOCL, the companies that have ordered vessels of 7,400 TEUs or more are China Shipping, Mediterranean Shipping Co., CMA CGM, Maersk Sealand and the non-operating owners Conti Reederei, Seaspan, Nordcapital and Claus-Peter Offen. Some of the orders placed by the non-operating owners were for a charter contract with some of these container shipping lines.
   So far, the big Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and Singaporean shipping lines have not ordered very large containerships of 7,400 TEUs or more.
   According to BRL Shipping Consultants, shipowners had ordered a total of 36 vessels of 7,400 TEUs or more, as of March, not including five large containerships ordered by Maersk Sealand. The Maersk ships have a stated capacity of 6,600 TEUs, but they are widely believed to be physically as large, if not larger, than the 8,100-TEU vessels ordered by other carriers.