ContainersEurope

10-year-old boxship sent for scrap

The Viktoria Wulff becomes the youngest boxship to date this year to have been sent for scrap. Just 10-years-old, the 4,546 teu panamax is owned by Erste RHW Schiffahrts and flagged with Liberia.

Panamax boxships have been sent en masse for scrapping this year as rates for this ship size in particular have faded away. Prior to the Viktoria Wulff, the youngest boxships sent for recycling this year had been 13 years-old. Clarksons Research shows the German owner managed to gain a very decent $303 per ldt for the ship scrapping.

“This is surprising as the Eid holidays have meant that it has been a very quiet week in the ship recycling sector. However, the signs have been there for a while, as the lack of tonnage started to push rates up and we have been moving towards a scenario where yards have emptied and are open across the board in the Indian Sub-Continent. This would help create healthy competition once again, which can only benefit owners,” Clarkson Research said in its latest weekly report.

The broking outfit also noted that another 13-year-old vessel, the Hang Jun 5, owned by another German owner, Hammonia Reederei, was also sold for recycling last week.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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