United Arab Shipping Co has signed a newbuilding contract with Samsung Heavy Industries for nine 13,100 TEU ships.
Valued at more than US$1.5 billion, this is one of the biggest containership newbuilding orders ever placed by a GCC-owned company.
The first of the nine vessels will be delivered to UASC in October 2010, with the rest following in short order. The last vessel is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2011.
UASC currently operates a fleet of 41 fully cellular container vessels, with three more due for delivery this year and another ten in 2009.
By the time the nine A13s have been delivered, the fleet will comprise more than sixty modern container ships able to carry approximately 270,000 TEU.
Hamburg-based Rickmers-Linie has increased the number of multi-purpose heavylift newbuildings from ten to fourteen, with an option for four additional vessels.
The latest four vessels have been ordered from Wuhu Xinlian Shipbuilding Co. by Polaris Shipmanagement Ltd, a Rickmers Group company, and will be taken on long-term charter by Rickmers-Linie.
The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in December 2010, and all four should be in service by September 2011. The optional four additional vessels would be delivered in 2012.
The 24,000 dwt newbuildings have been purpose-designed for the carriage of breakbulk, heavylift and project cargo. The vessels will be equipped with three cranes, one capable of lifting 100 tonnes and two 350 tonne units that can be combined to handle loads of up to 700 tonnes.
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