MOL SELECTS BUILDERS FOR 8 PANAMAX SHIPS

MOL SELECTS BUILDERS FOR 8 PANAMAX SHIPS    Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said Wednesday it has chosen two shipyards to build eight new Panamax containership that the Japanese line plans to launch in 2003.
   Four of the new 4,500-TEU ships will be built at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Kobe Shipyard and four at Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. Yokohama Shipyard.
   The ships will have an overall length of about 294 meters, a beam of about 32.2 meters and will have service speeds of 25.5 knots.
   MOL Group companies will own four of the new ships and will operate the others under long-term charter contracts with Japanese shipowners.
   The new ships will replace 2,800-TEU vessels serving MOL's transpacific routes.