MITSUI O.S.K. ORDERS THREE 5,500-TEU BOXSHIPS

MITSUI O.S.K. ORDERS THREE 5,500-TEU BOXSHIPS

   Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has ordered three 5,500-TEU
containerships too wide to transit the Panama canal from the Japanese shipyard Imabari
Shipbuilding.
    The new post-Panamax vessels will have a reefer capacity of 960 TEUs
and a speed of 25 knots.
    They will be delivered between March and September 2001.
MOL said that it will deploy the three ships in its Asia-north Europe service, operated
with New World Alliance partners APL and Hyundai Merchant Marine.
    In the Asia-north Europe service, MOL currently operates five 4,700-TEU
post-Panamax vessels and three 3,700-TEU Panamax ships. The latter will be replaced by the
new 5,500-TEU units.