Evergreen to charter 18,000-TEU ships

The Taiwanese carrier says its membership in CKYHE will allow it to use big ships efficiently.    Evergreen Marine Corp. said Monday that it has plans to charter a half dozen 18,000-TEU containerships.
   In a press release, the Taiwanese company said, “In order to optimize its competitiveness, the company is planning to take advantage of economies that the latest shipbuilding technology and design affords, and introduce these ships of 18,000 TEUs to Evergreen Line’s operating fleet.”
   Evergreen, the fifth-largest container shipping company, did not say from whom it will charter the six ships.
   Evergreen, which first joined the CKYH alliance of Cosco, “K” Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin on the Asia-Europe trade in 2012 and expanded cooperation with the other four carriers earlier this year, said it believes “terms of the CKYHE alliance’s service cooperation will enable it to utilize the capacity of these vessels efficiently, to reduce unit operating costs. and to produce the maximum economic benefit from its fleet.”
   In October, the CKYHE alliance filed an agreement to cover U.S. trades.
   The new ships will “not only enhance the line’s operating performance, but also help meet its own stringent requirements for environmental protection by reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Evergreen.
   “Once more these newly chartered ships will be part of Evergreen’s long-term fleet renewal program and, as such, will be replacing existing vessels on charter, which will be redelivered when the agreed terms of their charters expire,” it added.