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COSCO’s Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) is poised to usher in the first of the new generation of ultra-large containerships (ULCV) as the industry moves beyond the 24,000 TEU hurdle. The first of the company’s new generation of containerships was named today, February 16, at the Nantong COSCO Kawasaki Ship Engineering Co. (NACKS) in Nantong, China. Named OOCL Spain, the vessel is reported to be 228,000 dwt. The vessel has the same overall dimensions as other large containerships, with a length of 1,312 feet and a 201-foot beam, but the Chinese shipyards are working at increasing the carrying capacity of the vessels through the design and placement of the container racks. OOCL reports its new vessel will have a rated capacity of 24,188 TEU, which will be nearly 13 percent larger than the company’s current largest class of six vessels introduced in 2017 and 2018 rated to carry 21,413 TEU. The OOCL Spain will be able to stack boxes up to 22 layers on deck with the shipyard reporting the deck space is equivalent to 3.5 football fields in size. The vessel is part of a group of giant new boxships with Evergreen having recently completed delivery of its ULCVs while MSC and Hapag-Lloyd are both preparing to launch their classes of giant ships also in the coming weeks. The title for the largest capacity vessel is likely to go to the MSC Irina and MSC Loreto, both currently completing at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group in China. The shipyard has said those vessels will be rated for 24,346 TEU and able to stack boxes up to 25 layers. Source: www.maritime-executive.com
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