Yang Ming commits to 10 newbuild boxships from Costamare and Shoei Kisen Kaisha
Taiwanese container shipping line Yang Ming Marine Transport has signed time charter agreements with Greek owner Costamare and Japanese owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha for a total of ten containerships.
The charter agreements follows the announcement of a plan in February to order ten 2,800 teu boxships and charter in ten 11,000 teu containerships.
Under the agreements, Yang Ming will charter five 12,000 teu newbuild boxships from Costamare and another five 11,000 teu newbuild boxships from Shoei Kisen Kaisha.
Costamare will order the new vessels at Yangzijiang Shipbuiding while Shoei Kisen Kaisha will place the order at affiliate yard Imabari Shipbuilding. The new ships will be compliant with upcoming IMO regulations on emissions and ballast water treatment systems. Deliveries are scheduled in 2020 and 2021.
According to Yang Ming, the containerships are part of the company’s fleet renewal strategy and will be deployed on the transpacific routes. It said it will continue to optimize its fleet by replacing older vessels.
Yang Ming currently operates 106 container ships with a total capacity of more than 600,000 teu.