Maersk orders 10 more 18,000-TEU ships

Maersk orders 10 more 18,000-TEU ships    Maersk Line said Monday it has decided to order an additional 10 Triple-E vessels, each able to carry 18,000 TEUs.
The company exercised its option with Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd. to build the ships, which it said are the world's largest and most efficient container vessels. The carrier announced the order at a signing ceremony in Tokyo, Japan. Maersk Line ordered the first 10 of the Triple-E vessels in February.
   Maersk has the option through the end of this year to order yet another 10 of the ships, but said Monday it does not intend to exercise the option. But it added it “will reserve its right to hold off on any final decision until the deadline.”
   The orders “underline our strong commitment to the Asia/Europe trade and fit well with our current ambitions and expectations for the future development of the trade. We believe the Triple-E ships with their record capacity and energy efficiency will enable us to deliver on the commercial and environmental expectations of our customers and also give us a significant competitive advantage in the market,' said Eivind Kolding, chief executive officer of Maersk Line.

Kolding

   Maersk said it expects demand on the Asia to Europe trade to increase 5 percent to 8 percent per year during 2011-2015. By introducing the Triple-E vessels from 2013, Maersk Line will be able to meet the increasing demand as well as maintain its market share. The first 10 vessels will be delivered 2013 and 2014; the second 10 vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2014 and 2015.
   The company said it calls the ships its 'Triple-E' class because of their economy of scale, energy efficiency and because they are environmentally improved. It said the ships will produce 20 percent less carbon dioxide per container moved compared to the largest ships already in its fleet, and consume about 35 percent less fuel per container than the 13,100-TEU vessels being delivered to other container shipping lines in the next few years, also for Asia/Europe service.