NOL unveils two 10,000-TEU giants to join APL`s Asia-Europe trade

SINGAPORE`s Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) has christened its largest containership to date, the 10,000-TEU APL Chongqing, and launched its sister ship, the APL Gwangyang.

They are the first of 32 vessels to be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries for its container shipping arm, APL, that will be commissioned by 2014 to gain economies of scale, fuel efficiency and competitiveness in an industry moving rapidly to ships of 10,000-TEU and larger, a group statement said.


"We`re upsizing and upgrading, and when we`re done we`ll have the strongest fleet in our company`s 165-year history," said NOL chief executive Ng Yat Chung.


The new ships will replace older and smaller vessels. With greater cargo capacity, improved design and more efficient engines, they are expected to reduce operating costs and carbon dioxide emissions.