EVER LIVELY, the sixteenth in a series of Evergreen Line’s L-type containerships built by Samsung Heavy Industries, was christened by Bronson Hsieh, the Evergreen Group’s Second Vice Group Chairman, at the shipbuilder’s shipyard in Korea yesterday.
The official rope-cutting of the new 8,452-TEU vessel was performed by Ms. Ching-fen Cheng, Executive Vice President of Central Reinsurance Corporation.
On the same day, Vice Group Chairman Marcel Chang presided at the naming ceremony of EVER LENIENT, the seventeenth vessel in the series. The rope-cutting on this occasion was conducted by Mrs. Connie Chang, wife of Mr. Chang.
“As a primary benefit of our ongoing fleet renewal program, we have seen a significant enhancing of the fuel efficiency of the line’s operation. We believe that the delivery of EVER LIVELY, EVER LENIENT and other newbuildings to come will continue to improve the competitiveness of our operating fleet in the global shipping market,” said Mr. Hsieh at the ceremony.
EVER LIVELY and EVER LENIENT are owned by Evergreen Marine (Singapore) Pte Ltd and Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd respectively. The two ships are 334.8 meters in length, 45.8 meters wide, have 948 reefer plugs and a draft of 14.2 meters. Each can cruise at speeds up to 24.5 knots. Both will be delivered in February and join Evergreen Line’s Far East – Middle East route.
Evergreen Line commenced its fleet renewal program in 2010 when shipbuilding costs reached cost-effective levels. The project entailed ordering of thirty L-type vessels and chartering of five 8,800 teu ships as well as ten 13,800 teu units. The carrier also recently signed agreements to charter ten 14,000 teu vessels. The newbuildings will act as replacements for existing units; the delivery of newbuildings will be balanced by redelivery of currently chartered ships when their charter periods expire.
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Evergreen Line, January 22, 2014