ContainersEuropeShipyards

Reederei NSB completes pioneering boxship widening process

Shanghai: German owner Reederei NSB has completed a world-first ship widening project, giving a one of its ships an extra 20% of container capacity. The company used Chinese yard Huaran Dadong to widen the MSC Geneva, extending its capacity from 4,860 teu to 6,300 teu over a four month period. NSB said other lines and investors should consider the pioneering extension, where between two to four rows of containers can be added.

“Apart from converting ships of existing fleets, purchasing a used ship and having it widened is less costly than ordering a new one,” NSB said. Ships suitable for widening are panamaxes delivered after 2005, NSB reckons.

The company plans to offer its expertise in this new field to others and says it has already received plenty of enquiries.

The widening significantly increases both the load-carrying capacity and the transverse stability, NSB said. The company also pointed out that converting a ship instead of scrapping it will be less harmful to the environment than building a new ship.

NSB is now using the same yard to widen two more ships, Buxhai and MSC Carouge.

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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