Week 2007/10 05/03/2007 to 11/03/2007 is a weekly summary of the latest liner shipping news compiled by Alphaliner and published daily on the AXSLiner website. AXSLiner provides a new, enhanced way of displaying Alphaliner data, with additional data processing functions making the system a real productivity tool for the liner shipping industry. AXSLiner News is e-mailed every Monday night, and is available free of charge upon request, at AXSLiner's discretion. Information is given in good faith but without guarantee. Please send your feedback, comments and questions to data@alphaliner.com Zim plans to launch own FE-North Europe service Zim has recently added three 10,000 teu ships to the four ones it ordered in June 2006. These seven ships will be delivered between mid-2009 and mid-2010. Nieuwsblad Transport has unveiled that they are to be deployed between North Europe and the Far East on a specific loop. As for the four 8,200 teu ships ordered also in June for delivery during the second half 2009, they may join the FE- US trade although final plans are not yet determined. As a step up to the new VLCS service, Zim plans to initiate its own Far East- Europe service with 4,200 teu ships, together with partners. Zim does no longer have any ship deployed on the FE-North Europe trade since last summer and relies on slot allocations from CSCL and CSAV Norasia, on the CSCL's AEX-1 service and the CSAV Norasia's ANE service. Zim ships disappeared from the FE-North Europe run in August 2006 following the closure of the CSCL-Zim AEX-2 service consecutively to the launch of the AEX 7. As for the 4,200 teu ships earmarked for the new FE-Europe service, Zim is expected to receive five ships of this size between April and December this year from the Dalian New Shipyard. USEC-ECSA Follow up Further to the mini-shake up triggered on the USEC-ECSA trade by the closure by Maersk Line of its own NASA service and the termination of its agreement with MOL and APL (both slot buyers on this service), these two latter carriers have instead concluded a slot buying agreement with MSC on this carrier's USEC-ECSA String 1 (except on Freeport -Bahamas- which is used by MSC as a pivotal port to swap containers between services). Besides, APL is also terminating its slot buying agreement on the Hamburg-Süd service (APL had slots on both services). The status of the existing slot takers on the Hamburg-Süd service is as follows : > Evergreen is to go on with Hamburg-Süd on the revised service (slot buying). > CSAV and its Brasilian subsidiary Libra are to continue on the revised service with their slot allocations, as part of their existing slot exchange page 1 of 1
agreement with Hamburg-Süd, involving also the CSAV-Libra USATLAN service. > APL ceases to buy slots. It is recalled that Maersk has concluded an agreement with Hamburg-Süd, giving it access to the Hamburg-Süd USEC- ECSA service ensured with 3,739 teu ships. Maersk Sealand and Hamburg-Süd have already worked together within the frame of a multicarrier agreement implemented in September 2001, triggered by the phasing-in of Hamburg-Süd new generation of 3,739 teu ships. Maersk Sealand left this arrangement in March 2005. Various Lines News CSAV Norasia will become the sole vessel provider on the Asia-Black Sea service (ABS) as co-loader Hapag-Lloyd is to leave the service, on which it provides only one of the eight ships deployed. CSAV Norasia will continue as a stand alone operator, providing all the eight ships. With the service independently operated, CSAV Norasia says that it will have the flexibility to respond to the needs of its customers and react to any changes in the market when necessary. It also adds that it is to control all the space on the ABS service as all previous slot sales will have ended (currently, Senator Linie is slot buyer). It is recalled that a Chiwan- Xingang-Qingdao string has just been added, with one additional ship provided by CSAV Norasia, while at the same time, a call at Jeddah is added in the eastbound direction (Jeddah is already served westbound). The departure of Hapag-Lloyd from the Asia-Black Sea service (ABS) operated jointly with CSAV Norasia means that the German company is to organize an alternative service to cover the East Med and Black Sea sectors, probably within the frame of the Grand Alliance, involving also OOCL, NYK and MISC. Spare tonnage of 3,000-4,500 teu is gathering up to open an extra loop, on top of the relaunch next May of the Grand Alliance/ New World Alliance joint FE-USEC service (ECS / EC 3). Currently, Grand Alliance covers the East Med and Black Sea sector though transhipment at Damietta with feeders meeting there the Grand Alliance EU Med loop, which is in course of capacity upgrade. CMA CGM will send the 1,837 teu CMA CGM CORTES at Halifax on 19 March at a container terminal operated by Halterm Container Terminal Ltd. According to the Canadian journal The Chronicle Herald quoting a CMA CGM spokesperson, it will be a ''one-stop call in response to market demand'' and adds it is a test of practical aspects : commercial, logistics and operational : ''In light of the experience achieved, the situation will be further evaluated for the future''. If it is found that Halifax fits into one of its route rotations, a CMA CGM regular service would help offset the loss of Maersk, which will end its service into Halifax this month. Maersk Line and Safmarine are to revise their Far East-South Africa Safari services, concurrently to the inclusion of new larger, faster vessels and the inclusion of an additional, direct call at Ningbo, effective April and May. A significant feature of the revised Safari services will be twice-weekly calls in China, thanks to the extension of the Safari 2 (currently turning back at Singapore) to Hong Kong. Transit times between the two regions are shortened. The Safari 1 will be run with 7 ships instead of eight page 2 of 6
today while the Safari 2 rotation will run with 6 ships instead of 5. It is recalled thet Maersk and Safmarine are in the process of introducing 4,800 teu ships on the Safari one, displacing 3,100 teu ships to the Safari 2. Senator Lines will join the new Europe- ECSA service that CSCL, K Line, Hatsu and Maruba are to launch on 19-20 March. Senator will market the service as ESX and the slot provider is believed to be K Line. Senator has been covering the Europe-ECSA trade through slot buying on the MSC's relevant service since December 2003 and will cease to do so around May 2007 when the new Europe- ECSA service is fully implemented with its six ships. Senators says that the new service has two plus points : it includes Montevideo as a direct port of call, and its enjoys improved transit times. The above mentioned service will be launched in principle on 19 March from Rotterdam with the CSCL NAPOLI. It will offer an annualised capacity of 130,000 teu. Six ships averaging 2,660 teu will ensure it (2 x K Line / 2 x CSCL / 1 x Hatsu / 1 x Maruba). Costa Container has added again a fifth ship to its Med-Canada-Cuba service, the CALA PANTERA (1,577 teu), displaced from the Inter America ITA service (Cuba-Mexico-NCSA-Brasil), on which replaced by a brand new sister ship, the CALA PINGUINO. It was downgraded from five to four ships one year ago. Hapag-Lloyd has improved its Asia- Centram-WCSA offer as it is upgrading the frequency of its Mexico-Central America-WCSA feeder service (MXP) from every 10 days to weekly to the addition of a fourth ship, the 1,104 teu BERNHARD S., adding to the 1,730 teu ADRIAN, TITAN (1,131 teu) and JORK (1,122 teu). The MXP connects at Manzanillo (Mexico) with the CP Ships-APL Asia-Mexico service, allowing to offer Asia-WCSA links. It also connects with the MedPac. Hyundai M.M. is believed to add a direct call at Pipavav on its 'China-India Express' (CIX), run with four ships of 1,700-2,170 teu, on which Heung-A and Sinokor co-load. HMM has recently added Colombo to the service. Yang Ming Line and SYMS are to launch a new joint Intra Asia service connecting Korea (Inchon), China (Qingdao, Shanghai), Vietnam (HCMC) and Thailand (Bangkok, Laem Chabang) (CTS). It will come back to Inchon via Hong Kong and Shekou. It will use three ships of 1,200-1,600 teu, two of which contributed by SYMS, the CONTI SYDNEY (1,599 teu - SYMS), CONTI BARCELONA (1,597 teu - SYMS) and YM DANANG (1,200 teu - YML). Worth noting, SYMS has operated a China-Vietnam-Thailand service in cooperation with Dongnama between June 2005 and July-August 2006, which used to connect Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Laem Chabang. TS Lines is to launch on 18 March the 'China-Manila Express', a weekly service focusing on the Philippines, connecting Manila (South & North) to Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Kaohsiung (CMX). The Manila calls are sandwiched between two Hong Kong calls so that cargoes can be transhipped on other TS Lines services to/fm Japan, Korea, north China and other countries served by TS Lines. Until now, TS Lines served the Philippines through slot buying, using the Mekong Shipping Line Taiwan- Philippines service. The CMX will be ensured with two 1,118 teu ships transferred from other TS Lines services. page 3 of 6
Taiwan-based C.T. Navigation SA is to increase the capacity it offers on the Kaohsiung-Haiphong route as it is to replace the 556 teu MARVEL by the freshly chartered 653 teu PROVIDENCE. The intermediate Hong Kong call will be skipped. The Grimaldi-owned roro-containership REPUBBLICA DI GENOVA (25,450 tdw / 1,116 teu - built 1988) has capsized today in Antwerp as she was ready to sail. She was employed on the Grimaldi's North Europe-West Africa 'Southern Express' loop. It was her last trip on this loop, on which Grimaldi is in a fleet renewal process, including the assignment of tonnage chartered from Linea Messina (JOLLY SMERALDO and JOLLY TURCHESE). Danaos Corporation has signed shipbuilding contracts for four 6,800 teu ships with the China Shipbuilding Trading Company, Limited. They will be built by the Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Heavy Industry Company Limited and they are expected to be delivered to Danaos during the second and third quarter of 2010. The capital expenditure commitment which is in the region of USD 400 M will be financed by existing credit facilities and own funds. Deliveries MSC has received the MSC LISBON, ninth of a first batch of thirteen Samsung-built units of 9,200-9,500 teu with a breadth of 45.60 m (18 rows on deck). Some of them were ordered by German owner CP Offen and either chartered to MSC or subsequently sold to the company (The MSC LISBON is still owned by CP Offen). She is assigned to the Asia- Europe 'Lion' service. NYK has received the NYK VESTA, third unit in a series of twelve 9,000 teu VLCS (18 rows). Eight were ordered in December 2003 at IHI (four ships) and Hyundai (four ships) while a further four units were added at IHI in June 2005. The NYK VESTA is assigned to the Grand Alliance Asia-Europe EU 4 Loop. Hanjin Shipping has received the HANJIN XIAMEN, fifth of eight 6,655 teu units ordered with Hyundai H.I. in two steps (Dec 2003-Feb 2005)), and capable of a service speed of 27 knots thanks to a 12 cylinder Wärtsilä-Sulzer engine (12 RTflex 96 C-b) developing 68,640 kw (around 93,000 hp). The HANJIN TIAN- JIN is assigned to the Hanjin's Far East- Europe Express service (FEX - Part of the CKYH offer). MSC has taken in charge the chartered 5,029 teu maxipanamax MSC BREMEN, built at Hyundai-Samho for Bremenbased owner D. Oltmann GmbH & Co KG. Her assignment remains unclear. Maersk Line has taken in charge the MAERSK BROOKLYN. She is the fourth of seven panamax ships of around 5,000 teu built at the Volkswerft shipyard (Stralsund), which is owned by APM- Maersk. She is to join the FE-USEC TP-7 service. Stocznia Szczecinska has delivered the 3,108 teu ALMATHEA (B-178 design) to NSC Schiffahrt. She has joined her charterer Hamburg-Süd as CAP PRIOR and is proceeding to the Med where she will join the Med-ECSA 'Sirius' service, replacing the 2,526 teu CABO PRIOR, who is to be renamed CAP VALIENTE and will join the Europe-US-ANZ 'Trident' service, which is in course of upgrade to the weekly frequency. Worth noting, the name CABO PRIOR retained the 'CABO' prefix particular to the ships operated by Ybarra. This prefix will now enter history page 4 of 6
as the Ybarra brand has disappeared when Ybarra y Cía. Sudamérica S.A. (Ybarra Sud) was rebranded Hamburg Süd Iberia S.A. on 1st January 2007. German shipowner Martime, acting on behalf of Gebab, has received the 2,702 teu NAJADE, built by Thyssen Nordseewerke. She is the seventh unit in a series of ships which are a lengthened version of the 'Thyssen 2500' design. She has been chartered by K Line, which has renamed her EUROPA BRIDGE, for assignment to the neweurope-ecsa service that CSCL, K Line, Hatsu and Maruba are to launch on 19-20 March. Columbia Ship Management, part of Schoeller Holdings, has received the 1,440 teu CAPE FULMAR, built by the Hegemann Group on its Peene Werft site (Wolgast). Columbia-owned Hamburgbased unit Hanse Bereederungs markets this ship. She has joined her charterer CMA CGM, which has assigned her to its weekly UK-Germany-Poland service, replacing both the 868 teu AURORA and the 380 teu TOPAZ, which ensured two distinct weekly loops. Heinrich Jüngerhans has received the 974 teu NORMA J., fifth unit in a new design marketed by the Hegemann Group, the 'RW 850' (RW = Rolandwerft - part of Hegemann). She has joined Delphis NV which has assigned her to the Team Lines Benelux-Bilbao service, replacing the 750 teu CANOPUS J. MC Schiffahrt is to receive this week the MARCLIFF, first of two units of 1,049 teu ordered by this owner at the Daesun shipyard (Korea). She has joined her charterer SYMS for assignment on a Shanghai-Japan shuttle. Cassens Werft has delivered in end February the ELBINSEL, second in a series of five 724 teu ships built for Drochtersen-based Elbdeich Reederei. She has joined her charterer Borchard- Gracechurch Lines as GRACECHURCH SUN. She has joined the Borchard- Gracechurch Irish Sea-Med service. Terminals Kandla's first container terminal entered service this week-end, according to Cities Express India. It is operated by ABG Kandla Container Terminal Ltd (ABGKCT), a specially created subsidiary of Mumbai-based ABG Heavy Industries Limited. The announcement was made in presence of Kandla Port Trust (KPT) officials. The terminal has been built on two dry cargo berths conceded by the KPT. ABG said that it gets advice from Voltri Terminal Europa Spa, Italy, and from the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), as advisor. ABGKCT has to compete with the neighbouring Mundra International Container Terminal (MICT), operated by DP World. ABG s expects to cut charges by 25% when compared to immediate rival at Mundra. The container services currently calling at Kandla are local ones, connecting Kandla to the UAE, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other West India ports, using ships of less than 1,500 teu. They act also as feeder services for main lines. Here is their list, extracted from the AXS- Alphaliner database : > Simatech - India-Gulf-Iran service (IGI) - Using 2 x 1,440 teu > Samudera / Sea Consortium - UAE-Kandla feeder service - Using 2 x 900 / 1 000 teu > Orient Shg services / Sea Consortium - Colombo-W. India-Karachi service - Using 2 x 700 / 1 150 teu > Shreyas Shg / Orient Express Lines - West India coastal shuttles + Shreyas India Pakistan (SIP) - Using 5 x 500 / 1 150 teu. page 5 of 6
Alphaliner & AXSMarine joined forces in 2005 to create AXSLiner. AXSLiner is a new, enhanced way of displaying Alphaliner data. AXSLiner's data sorting and processing functions create a real productivity tool for the liner shipping industry. www.axsliner.com page 6 of 6