HMM said all 12 of its 24,000-twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container ships are now carrying cargo.
The last of the series, the HMM St. Petersburg, departed the Port of Yantian in China with 19,529 TEUs on board on Wednesday. The St. Petersburg will transit the Suez Canal en route to the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with an estimated arrival on Oct. 23.
“This is a major milestone for us to expand our presence in the global market in close cooperation with THE Alliance,” HMM President and CEO Jae-hoon Bae said in a statement Monday. “I am delighted that our efforts and dedication have come to fruition, which gave us a much-needed uplift. We will take a big step forward to prove what we are capable of in the years ahead.”
HMM signed a contract for the 12 ships in September 2018. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) built seven and Samsung Heavy Industries built five.
The first, the HMM Algeciras, was deployed in April carrying 19,621 TEUs. The HMM Algeciras and sister ships HMM Oslo and HMM Copenagen have all embarked on their second journeys from Asia to Europe.
Considering the safety of vessel operations and cargo weight, the maximum loadable capacity of each of the 24,000-TEU ships stands at about 19,300 TEUs, HMM said.
HMM expects to take delivery of eight 16,000-TEU container ships in the second quarter of 2021.
Formerly known as Hyundai Merchant Marine, HMM is South Korea’s national flagship carrier, with a fleet of more than 100 vessels.
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