Maersk spreads new layer of boxes to up capacity of SAMMAXer to 8,700 TEU

DANISH shipping giant Maersk has received the first of its South America Maximum (SAMMAX) class, the Maersk Lota, enhancing its capacity by raising the wheelhouse and spreading another layer of containers on the weather deck to raise capacity from 7,450 TEU to 8,700 TEU.

The newbuild is the ninth in a series of 16 ships ordered in June 2008 from the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in Korea to be chartered in the Far East-ECSA service jointly operated with Hamburg Sud (known as ASAS 1/NGX 1), reports Alphaliner. The Maersk Lota was originally intended to join the Europe-ECSA Samba Service, but due to scheduling, the Maersk Leticia will take its place.


The upgrade allows the enhanced capacity vessels to be fitted with 1,700 reefer plugs with a reefer equivalent capacity of around 70,000 cubic metres, taking into account the mix of TEUs and FEUs.