Japanese shipbuilder and repairer Imabari Shipbuilding has become the first Japanese yard to break into the mega-ship market with an order for eleven 20,000 TEU vessels.
According to Seatrade Global, this is the largest ever contracted, with Imabari saying it had secured the order in cooperation with Japenese trading and investment firm Marubeni.
The Japanese shipbuilder has said it will be constructing a new dry dock to accommodate the 400-metre-long x 59-metre-wide ships which will be located next to its Marugame headquarters.
Construction of the dock will start in February 2015 and is expected to be completed in October 2016.
The first of the 20,000 TEU newbuildings is expected to be delivered in 2018.
The largest containership built to date in Japan measured 14,000 TEU, ordered by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line).
(Source: Naval-Technology)
