TAIWAN: Evergreen Line took delivery of its sixth and seventh new 12,000 TEU class F-type containerships today. Ever Forever was built at the Geoje Shipyard of Samsung Heavy Industries.
The name of this ship symbolizes her owner’s corporate philosophy of sustainable development. Ever Far was delivered by Imabari Shipbuilding, the name represents Evergreen’s comprehensive service network.
Ever Forever will be put into service on the Asia-US East Coast (AUE) service, which follows a port rotation of Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Yantian, through the Panama Canal to Colon Container Terminal in Panama and then to Savannah, New York, Norfolk and Baltimore before heading back to Asia.
Ever Far is deployed on the South China-Taiwan-US West Coast (HTW) route, with a service scope covering Kaohsiung (or Taipei Port in the future), Xiamen, Hong Kong, Yantian, Los Angeles and Oakland.
The F-type containerships have a length of 334 meters, a width of 48.4 meters, and a scantling draft of 15.5 meters. The dimensions are within the draft limitations and terminal operation standards of major ports in the U.S. The ship’s hull adopts the twin-island design, in which the navigation bridge is located in the fore section of the ship and the engine room is located semi-aft. This configuration helps to prevent containers on the deck from affecting the view from the bridge and increases cargo loadability.
The optimized hull design reduces wave resistance, decreasing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The F-type ship is equipped with a facility to remove both sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide exhaust gases; ballast water treatment systems; electric deck machinery; air-sealed stern shaft seals; alternative maritime power (AMP) and other environmental protection features.
Evergreen Line has already been advancing its fleet enhancement plans. With the addition of these two new vessels, Evergreen has now taken delivery of sixteen newly built containerships, including seven F-type ships of 12,000 TEU and nine C-type ships of 1,800 TEU this year. These additions will not only provide more space to meet the demands of shippers, but also ensure more efficient service to facilitate global trade.
Evergreen has another 53 newbuildings to be delivered, including vessels owned by the carrier and ships chartered in. This order book still contains ten A-type ships of 24,000 TEU, thirteen F-type ships of 12,000 TEU, fourteen O-type ships of 2,500 TEU and sixteen C-type ships of 1,800 TEU, all to be delivered by the end of 2022.
With the delivery of these new ships, Evergreen’s fleet renewal program will continue as older ships are gradually phased out and chartered vessels are returned to their owners. The result will be one of the youngest, most technically advanced and sustainable containership fleets in the world, achieving Evergreen’s ideals of a greener future and enhanced competitiveness.
