ACL takes delivery of second ship in series

The larger, more efficient ships will reduce emissions per TEU by 65 percent, according to Atlantic Container Lines.    Atlantic Container Line (ACL) took delivery of Atlantic Sail last week, the second of five new conro (container and roll-on/roll-off) ships the company is building as part of its fleet renewal process.
   The transatlantic ocean carrier, which is a subsidiary of the Grimaldi Group, said the new ship will sail from China early this week and join its transatlantic schedule in early May. Three remaining “G4” vessels (these are the fourth generation vessels in ACL’s history, hence the G4 designation) will be delivered later this year.
   The G4s have twice the container capacity (3,800 TEUs) of the ships they are replacing. They also have 28,900 square meters of ro-ro space and car capacity of 1300+ vehicles. The ro-ro ramps are wider and shallower than those in the company’s older ships, and ro-ro decks are higher, up to 7.4 meters, with fewer columns, enabling much easier loading and discharge of oversized cargo.
   Emissions per TEU for the new conro vessels are reduced by 65 percent, according to ACL.
   ACL said the new ships, like those in it’s earlier generations, have cell guides on deck, a feature it says has resulted in ACL ships never losing a container over the side in more than 30 years.
   The Atlantic Sail, and the first ship in the series, Atlantic Star, fly the British flag. ACL’s current schedule and port rotation will be maintained until all five G4 vessels are in service.