The second of United Arab Shipping Company (UASC’s) 18,800 TEU capacity Ultra-Large Container Ships (ULCS) recently called at APM Terminals (APMT) Zeebrugge on its maiden voyage to Europe on the AEC1 (Asia/Europe Container Service 1) route.
These vessels utilise new advanced technology to reduce CO2 emissions per TEU by 60%, compared with 13,500 TEU capacity ships delivered just three years ago, and are the largest vessels powered by either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or conventional heavy fuel oil.
The vessels are the first to have received DNV GL certification of compliance with the latest LNG regulations.
Carla Debart, Managing Director of APMT Zebrugge, said: “United Arab Shipping Company is setting a new world standard in environmental performance for liner services, as well as fleet growth, and we are very proud to be a part of this historic process.”
UASC has a total fleet of 56 vessels, representing an overall capacity of more than 482,000 TEU.
The shipping line has recently started an expansion plan, which includes pending deliveries of four 18,800 and six 15,000 TEU ships, which will add approximately 170,000 TEU of capacity, increasing its fleet size by 35%.
APMT Zeebrugge, which is one of a select group of European container terminals which can accommodate ULCS with containers stacked 10-high on deck and rows of 24 containers wide, handled 406,000 TEU in 2014 in Northern Europe’s seventh busiest container port.
