Hapag-Lloyd to get five new ships in 2007, returning 14 others

Hapag-Lloyd to get five new ships in 2007, returning 14 others Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd said today that it will take delivery of five new containerships and return 14 small chartered ships to their owners next year.
   The newbuild deliveries include three 8,750-TEU ships and two 4,250-TEU vessels, which Hapag-Lloyd said would enable it to 'keep pace with the expected growth in global container transport.” The chartered vessels picked for return range from 1,100 TEUs to 2,500 TEUs.
   “These measures will lead to a further improvement in service for our customers, as well as enabling us to reduce the deployment of tonnage. Moreover, the larger units contribute to increasing efficiency and saving fuel costs,” said Tony Firmin, Hapag-Lloyd’s managing director ship and container management, in a statement.
   Hapag-Lloyd’s parent company TUI AG last week resisted pressure from a number of shareholders to offload the shipping line, struggling with integration problems from its takeover of CP Ships and the general worsening of the liner market. Instead, TUI, among other things, decided to sell its Montreal Gateway terminal as well as other assets from the shipping division that it hopes will raise about 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion).