Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) received its first 24,188 TEU container ship, which was officially named “OOCL Spain” at a ceremony held on 16 February in Nantong, China at the No.2 outfitting quay of Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co. (NACKS), which built the ship.
The giant vessel has a total length of 399.99 meters and a width of 61.3 meters and is the first container ship of OOCL to exceed the 24,000 TEU threshold.
OOCL Spain will join OOCL’s Asia-Europe service LL3 in March with the following port rotation: Shanghai (China) – Xiamen (China) – Nansha (China) – Hong Kong – Yantian (China) – Cai Mep (Vietnam) – Singapore – Piraeus (Greece) – Hamburg (Germany) – Rotterdam (Netherlands) – Zeebrugge (Belgium) – Valencia (Spain) – Piraeus – Abu Dhabi (UAE) – Singapore – Shanghai in an 84-day round trip.
The naming ceremony of the vessel was successfully completed in the presence of a number of guests, including representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, governmental departments from Jiangsu Province and Nantong, management executives and colleagues from COSCO SHIPPING Group, COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings, COSCO SHIPPING Lines, and many customers and business partners.
OOCL Spain is the first of a series of six 24,188 TEU vessels ordered by COSCO-owned OOCL in 2020 to be delivered by NACKS.
Kenny YE, chief operating officer of OOCL, said that OOCL Spain is of great significance to the company, being the first newbuilding that has been delivered to OOCL in over five years. Additionally, it is the first newbuilding received by OOCL since the company joined the COSCO SHIPPING Group. “I would like to thank NACKS, who, using their own R&D [research and development] and technological capabilities, have designed this mega vessel, equipped with the most advanced eco-friendly and intelligent technologies,” noted Kenny YE.
