Hapag-Lloyd adds wide beam ships

German ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd has purchased two wide beam ships from NileDutch, and will charter two sister ships for use in South America as well as four wide ships for a Canada-Mediterranean string.    Hapag-Lloyd has taken delivery of two modern 3,500-TEU ships with a special wide-beam design from the Dutch shipping company NileDutch. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price of the two vessels, which are to be initially deployed in South America, Hapag-Lloyd said in a statement Wednesday.
   “The wide-beam design of the hull means that the ships, which were built in 2015, maintain a comparatively high slot capacity despite having a lower draught, thereby making them particularly well suited for ports with shallow water as for example some South American ports,” the German ocean carrier explained.
   Hapag-Lloyd is also chartering two more identical ships from NileDutch’s same series, both of which will be deployed together with their sister ships.
   Anthony J. Firmin, chief operating officer of Hapag-Lloyd said the ships will be deployed in the cabotage business in South America.
   Hapag-Lloyd is also chartering four other wide-beam ships for services between the Mediterranean and Montreal, Canada. Those ships are two years old and have an operating capacity of around 2,700 TEU. They will replace existing, older tonnage, are equipped for sailing through ice and also have a comparatively low draught, which is an advantage for traveling on the St. Lawrence River.