Hapag-Lloyd sells 16 containerships

The ocean liner is looking to improve its fleet structure after merging with South American carrier CSAV.    Hapag-Lloyd is selling 16 older containerships that will be scrapped or used by other operators.
   Rainer Horn, a spokesman for the carrier, said two panamax-size ships have already been sold to scrapping yards in China and Turkey. He noted these are green certified yards and that the ships will not be beached.
   Two others have been sold to an operator “and these ships will keep on sailing for some time,” said Horn.  
   Hapag-Lloyd’s merger with CSAV’s container business last December “enables us to improve the structure of our fleet,” he added.
   The company plans to put other ships on the market in coming months. Horn could not provide give any selling schedule or names and sizes of the other 12 ships.