German shipping heavyweight Hapag-Lloyd has held a christening ceremony for two liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel containerships, Singapore Express and Iquique Express.
As informed, Singapore Express was christened at the Port of Tuas in Singapore. Meanwhile, the naming ceremony for Iquique Express was held at New Times Shipyard in China.
The events took place a few days after the company held a christening ceremony for another Hamburg Express-class ship, Damietta Express. The naming was held at Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard in South Korea on May 24, 2024.
The 23,600 TEU containerships Damietta Express and Singapore Express are 400 meters long and 61 meters wide. These ultra-large boxships are the largest to ever sail under the German flag, Maximilian Rothkopf , a member of Hapag-Lloyd’s Executive Board said.
“Both are equipped with advanced LNG dual-fuel engines and energy-efficient designs. They will boost our capacity on currently longer transit routes around the Cape of Good Hope and reinforce our Far East trades, helping to mitigate the impacts of the Red Sea crisis,” Rothkopf also commented.
He added that their sister vessel, Iquique Express, will be a key player in the Latin America-Asia trade.
“The ship boasts an impressive 2,100 reefer plugs – the highest number in our fleet – which reaffirms our commitment to meeting growing demand for refrigerated transports and delivering exceptional service,” according to Rothkopf.
Since 2021, the company has aimed to introduce seventeen new ships into its fleet by 2025.
The new class of ships will make an important contribution to Hapag-Lloyd’s efforts to operate its entire fleet in a climate-neutral manner by 2045, according to the shipowner.