Moment of truth for Japanese shipbuilding with naming of landmark 20,000 teu ship
Yesterday saw the naming ceremony for the first ever Japanese-built 20,000 teu class containership.
On a clear blue-skied day a high level delegation flocked to Imabari Shipbuilding’s Saijo works to gaze up at the light blue liveried hull of the MOL Truth, the first of two 20,150 teu ships Imabari has been contracted to build. Both ships were ordered by Imabari’s sister company Shoei Kisen Kaisha and are on long-term charter to Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) for deployment on the Asia-Europe tradelanes.
The pair form part of six-ship order MOL signed for a couple of years ago. The other four ships, fully owned by MOL, have been built at South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries. Although all six are 20,150 teu in terms of capacity, and feature the same length (400 m) and load draft (16 m) features, the Japanese ships are 30 cm narrower than their Korean counterparts, with a breadth of 58.5 m.
Hi Sam,
Are the four other ships being built in Samsung’s yard in Philippines?
Thanks
Wasif
In South Korea, Wasif