A new 11,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) class containership named YM Tutorial, which has been added to the fleet of Taiwan-based Yang Ming Marine Transport, has started operating on the trans-pacific West Coast route PS6.
The port rotation for the ship’s maiden voyage is Qingdao, China – Ningbo, China – Busan, South Korea- Los Angeles, US – Kobe, Japan – Qingdao, China.
Constructed by Imabari Shipbuilding, the vessel has been chartered from Shoei Kisen Kaisha.
It is the 12th of the 14 11,000TEU newbuilds ordered by Yang Ming through long-term charter agreements with shipowners.
According to the shipping firm, the vessels will reduce the average age of its global fleet as well as unit costs. Furthermore, they are said to speed up the firm’s fleet optimisation and energy efficiency objectives.
The first of the vessels was delivered in 2020.
Each ship is 333.9m long and 48.4m wide, with a draft of 16m.
Designed to travel at a maximum speed of 23 knots, the vessels are fitted with scrubbers, a water ballast treatment plant and an alternative marine power system.
They feature a twin-island design to help enhance loading capacity and navigational visibility.
The ship hull form optimisation is said to further support energy savings and cut down total emissions. The vessels can also be easily manoeuvred during berthing or departure due to the shorter length and beam.
Furthermore, the optimal dimensions allow the ships to call at major global ports as well as pass through the new, less restricted Panama Canal, noted Yang Ming.
In April, Yang Ming took delivery of a new boxship, named YM Trophy.
