COSCO to charter another three 8,500-TEU ships
COSCO Container Lines said today it will charter another three newly built post-Panamax 8,500-TEU ships for a period of 10 years under a contract signed with the German ship management firm E.R. Schiffahrt.
COSCO had signed a similar contract in February with the Greek shipowner Costamare Shipping Co. to charter five 8,500-TEU ships, also for a period of 10 years.
All eight vessels will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. The latest five ships are scheduled for delivery between December 2005 and May 2006. The owner of the vessels is Nordcapital Holding of Hamburg.
COSCO said the ships will be deployed in its east/west main liner services.