OOCL recently announced the christening of two 13,208-TEU mega-vessels at a ceremonial event held at the Geoje Island Shipyard in South Korea, the first time the company is taking delivery of newbuilds of this size. The first vessel was christened MV OOCL Brussels. The second vessel was christened MV NYK Helios.
Andy Tung, Chief Executive Officer of OOCL, hosted the naming ceremony and thanked the Sponsors for performing the formalities and in thanking Mega International Commercial Bank and Bangkok Bank for their support, he said, “Your recognition and faith in OOCL as a business partner is a huge encouragement to us as the company continues to build the business from strength to strength by delivering exceptional product and services to customers, maintaining a healthy financial position, and embracing innovative and cutting-edge technologies to provide a Vital Link to world trade.”
He also thanked D. Y. Park, President and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Heavy Industries, for the successful newbuilds that marked the largest vessels that Samsung has built for OOCL to date. The two container ships of this size are in a line of ten ordered from the Samsung shipyard. “I am very pleased to acknowledge our partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries as they play an instrumental role in strengthening OOCL’s fleet,” Mr. Tung said. “OOCL is committed to exceeding international standards and these new vessels are built and equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technologies with advanced green features to meet current and future environmental requirements.”
The hull form design, for instance, optimizes the ship’s performance to minimize fuel consumption, and with less fuel being used, there are fewer emissions to contribute to global warming. OOCL is exceptionally proud that these newbuilt vessels have exceeded today’s internationally recognized standard by achieving a much improved Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) level from the baseline required in the year 2025 by the International Maritime Organization.
OOCL Brussels will be deployed on Loop 5 of the Asia–Europe service. NYK Helios will be chartered to NYK and deployed on Loop 4 of the Asia-Europe service.