OOCL has introduced the first of six new 24,188 TEU “mega vessels” into its fleet.
The Hong Kong-based shipping line said the OOCL Spain is the first of its vessels to exceed the 24,000 TEU threshold. It is 399.99 metres long and 61.3 metres wide.
OOCL ordered six 24,188 TEU ships from Chinese shipbuilder Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS) in 2020.
OOCL Spain was named at a ceremony on 16 February at NACKS’s outfitting quay in Nantong, China.
Representatives from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and executives from COSCO were among the guests at the ceremony.
“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the shipowner, OOCL, one of the world’s largest container transportation and logistics services providers, for its trust and support to COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry,” COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry president Yanfeng Liang said at the ceremony.
OOCL chief operating officer Kenny Ye said OOCL Spain is the first newbuild delivered to the company in more than five years.
“More importantly, she is the first newbuilding received by OOCL since the company joined the COSCO Shipping Group, and so it is the first vessel jointly created by OOCL and other sister companies,” he said.
“I would like to thank NACKS, who, using their own R&D and technological capabilities, have designed this mega vessel, equipped with the most advanced eco-friendly and intelligent technologies.”
OOCL said the American Bureau of Shipping has awarded the new vessel with three Smart Ship notations.
The company said smart ship status recognises OOCL’s use of the latest intelligent technology onboard which, together with big data acquisition, is expected to optimise operations, improve fuel efficiency, and enable gains in structural health monitoring and long-term navigational safety.
