Ocean carrier K Line has ordered two new car carrier vessels, each with a capacity for 7,500 units. The latest order, which will be delivered in 2017, follows its recent contract for eight vessels, which will be delivered between 2015 and 2016. The two new orders are being built by Shin Kurushima Dockyard in Japan.
“By adding these two new additional ships, line-up of our new next generation car carrier vessels, with better stability and increased fuel efficiency, will expand to a total of ten,” said the company in a statement. “We are committed to continue to deliver value-added efficiency as well as the capability of handling an even wider variety of cargo mix to assure our services successfully meet the needs of our valued customers in order to be best suited for not only passenger cars but also other ro-ro cargoes.”
K Line’s fleet comprises over 100 vessels, ranging from small-sized 800-unit pure car carriers for intraregional traffic, to 6,000-unit pure car and truck carriers sporting a number of decks with variable heights for the safe carriage of passenger and commercial vehicles, as well as high-and heavy machinery on deep sea routes.
K Line’s latest fleet additions will be equipped the latest technology to mitigate wind pressure for betterx fuel consumption according to the company. They will also feature loading equipment inside the cargo hold and loading ramp to handle other ro-ro cargo.
Shin Kurushima Dockyard has also recently delivered a post-Panamax car carrier to NYK Line. The Aries Leader, which has capacity for 7,000 units and a gross tonnage of almost 70,000 tons, was built at the Onishi Shipyard in Ehime prefecture and is the very first post-Panamax car carrier to be delivered in Japan.
