South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has received a KRW1trn ($920m) contract from Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine to build six ultra-large container ships.
According to the contract, the company will build six of the world’s largest ships with a capacity of 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU).
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The container ships will be 400m-long, 61.5m-wide and 33.2m-tall. The vessels will be able to transport 23,764 20ft-long containers, according to SHI.
The new ships will be an upgrade from the company’s previous ultra-large vessel with a capacity of 23,756 containers, delivered to Swiss shipping group Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).
SHI said in a statement: “These vessels can sail safely and economically with SVESSEL installed, a next-generation smart ship system independently developed by Samsung Heavy.
“Outfitted with Energy Saving Devices (ESDs) such as SAVER Fin and Rudder bulb and new hull forms, these high-efficient smart ships can reduce fuel consumption by up to 7%.”
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By GlobalDataSAVER Fin is an instrument for controlling water flow near hulls, which enhances fuel efficiency while considerably decreasing ship vibrations.
SHI said that the new contract has increased its order backlog for ultra-large container ships with 23,000-TEU capacity to 14 units.
SHI official said: “The demand for ultra-large containerships is expected to continue as global ship owners have reduced cost through an economy of scale.
“Based upon advanced technologies, including smart ships and reduced energy consumption, as well as new designs for hull forms, Samsung Heavy will keep leading the ultra-large box ships market.”
So far this year, SHI has won contracts with a combined value of over $5.1bn to build 35 ships, achieving 65% of its annual target of $7.8bn.
The orders are for 14 crude oil tankers, 11 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, two product carriers, six container vessels, one special ship and one floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit.
In June, SHI secured a KRW450bn ($381m) contract from a Bermuda-registered client to construct two LNG carriers.
