CSAV orders 12,000-TEU ships

CSAV orders 12,000-TEU ships Compania Sudamericana de Vapores has ordered four 12,000-TEU container vessels at a cost of $640 million.
   Details of the deal are sketchy, but it is understood that the Chilean carrier has placed the order with Taiwanese shipyard China Shipbuilding Corp.
   CSAV said the vessels — 360 meters (1,181.1 feet) in length with a 45 meters (147.6 feet) beam — would be incorporated into its fleet from 2009 through 2011.
   “This important investment represents a significant step forward and a clear sign of the company's growth plans, which will allow us to improve our competitive position, offering our customers an even more efficient service,” the carrier said in a statement.
   CSAV is No. 16 in the world in terms of container vessel fleet with about 85 box ships aggregating 250,000 TEUs capacity. The 12,000-TEU mega-ships will dwarf its current largest vessels of about 6,500 TEUs.
   The Chilean carrier has played a major role in growing Florida's Port Everglades from a Central American trade hub into a larger presence in the South America market. In 2005, CSAV took the lead in expanding Port Everglades' South America business, opening Florida International Terminals at the port. CSAV is 70 percent owner of F.I.T. through its subsidiary SAAM Inc. The other partner in the terminal is AGUNSA Miami Inc.
   CSAV and its South America vessel sharing partners offer service to both the West Coast of South America and the East Coast of South America.