Hapag-Lloyd: Yantian Express Fire Under Control

The fire that broke out on board Hapag-Lloyd’s Yantian Express has been largely contained and brought under control, the German liner company said in an update.

The firefighting operations were led under the direction of the salvage company Smit and in cooperation with the Hapag-Lloyd crew on the scene as well as Hapag-Lloyd’s emergency-response team in Hamburg.

“On Wednesday evening, a Hapag-Lloyd crew of five safely transferred back from the ocean-going tug Smit Nicobar to the Yantian Express,” the company added.

The fire-stricken vessel is currently being towed at a slow speed by Maersk Mobiliser and continues to be about 800 nautical miles off the coast of Canada. A third ocean-going tug is on its way to Yantian Express and is expected to begin assisting the activities on January 13, according to the German liner major.

“At this time, it is not possible to make a precise estimate of any damage to Yantian Express or its cargo. Hapag-Lloyd is working in close cooperation with all relevant authorities,” the update further reads.

The 7,510 TEU Yantian Express was on its way from Colombo to Halifax via the Suez Canal when a fire broke out in one of the containers on the ship’s deck on January 3 spreading to additional containers. The ship’s crew was evacuated after the fire aboard the vessel increased in intensity.

Maersk, MSC Bolster Ties with ZIM

The 2M Alliance partners Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are boosting their strategic cooperation with Israeli liner counterpart ZIM.

The expanded cooperation will see the trio share slots on select 2M services also on the Asia – US West Coast and Asia – Mediterranean trade lanes.

As disclosed, the TP9 service between Asia and the US West Coast, will be operated as a Vessel Sharing Agreement string where ZIM will operate four vessels and 2M will operate three vessels. A part of the ZIM slots on the TP9 will be swapped for access to slots on the fully 2M operated TP8 service.

2M partners said that there would be no schedule changes to the TP8 and TP9 services.

Between Asia and the Mediterranean, ZIM will get access to 2M slots on the AE12 and AE15 services, however, there would be no changes to the schedules of the said services.

“Having successfully implemented our strategic cooperation, we are very pleased to expand the partnership with ZIM into additional geographies. This agreement delivers mutual benefits to both parties, for Maersk it provides operational efficiencies that will enable our continued drive to deliver competitive and reliable products for our customers in the world’s most comprehensive East-West network,” says Søren Toft, Chief Operating Officer, A.P. Moller – Maersk.

The service changes are expected to begin in March 2019, subject to regulatory approval.

The deal builds upon the strategic cooperation agreed by the trio in July 2018, when the liner companies decided to swap slots on five loops on the Asia – US East Coast trade. As disclosed at the time, the arrangement is aimed at achieving economies of scale and efficiencies, helping the carriers to overcome tough business conditions.

CMA CGM’s First Newbuild for French West Indies Delivered

French shipping major CMA CGM has taken delivery of the first unit of an order for four container ships dedicated to the French West Indies, CMA CGM Fort de France.

With a capacity of 3,500 TEUs and a length of 219 meters, the new ship stands out by its draft which is adapted to the West Indies ports.

It is also equipped with plugs for refrigerated containers for transport of perishable goods – 850 of such containers can be installed on the ship.

Following the delivery of CMA CGM Fort de France, the company would see the remaining three vessels from the batch join its fleet in the spring and summer of 2019. The remaining units are named CMA CGM Fort Royal, the CMA CGM Fort Saint Charles and CMA CGM Fort Fleur D’Epee.

The ships, which will sail under the French flag, will be deployed in replacement of the existing Forts on the North Europe French West Indies line. This service links Europe and Metropolitan France to Guadeloupe and Martinique, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in under ten days.

20,000 TEU COSCO Shipping Pisces Named at DACKS

A colossal 20,000 TEU containership, owned by COSCO Shipping Lines, was named today at Dalian Cosco Kawasaki Shipbuilding (DACKS).

Named COSCO Shipping Pisces, the vessel is the second 20,000 TEU boxship to be delivered by the yard to the liner company. The LNG-ready vessel spans 400 meters in length, a width of 58.6 meters, and has a design speed of 22.5 knots/hour.

The Lloyd’s Register-classed ship is one of the largest container ships built and delivered in China.

According to COSCO Shipping, the containership boasts numerous environmentally-friendly features including shore-power system, ballast water management systems and low fuel and energy consumption.

Furthermore, the ship is equipped with intelligent energy efficiency management system aimed at monitoring and management of consumption of fuel, energy, and ship speed optimization. The system allows for one-man bridge operation, securing COSCO Shipping Pisces a spot in the new generation of “smart ships”.

After the delivery, COSCO Shipping Pisces will be deployed to the Constellation Express route of COSCO Shipping, providing service between Europe and Asia, AEU7 Eastbound. It is part of COSCO Shipping’s Constellation series of vessels, all named after the 12 constellations in the zodiac family.

Source: World Maritime News