Maersk Line announced today that it has signed a contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the construction of nine 14,000 teu ships worth a total of $1.1bn.
The contract, signed by Maersk and HHI in Copenhagen today, includes options for a further eight vessels. The Singapore-flagged, 353 m-length vessels will join the Maersk fleet in 2017, and are the latest step in Maersk's $15bn investment programme which it announced last year.
Previous orders under the programme were for seven feeder vessels and 11 updated Triple-E vessels.
“I am very pleased about this order for which we have taken a new approach. The vessels will be designed to operate in and perform efficiently across many trades and not just designed for one specific trade. They will help us stay competitive and make our fleet more flexible and efficient,” said Søren Toft, Maersk Line coo.
The ships will be capable of deployment on either East-West or North-South trades, without sacrificing fuel consumption.
