HMM has announced that all 12 of its 24,000 TEU fleet of mega-ships have been entirely filled with cargo on their maiden voyages.
In a statement the carrier said the HMM St. Petersburg, the last of the 24K-class series, departed for Europe from the Port of Yantian, China with 19,529 TEUs loaded on board on 30 September.
Consequently, all 24,000 TEU ships delivered by HMM have made their maiden voyage with a full load of cargoes, starting with HMM Algeciras which carried a total of 19,621 TEUs last May.
In particular, HMM Algeciras, the biggest of the fleet and the largest vessel in the world, and its two sister ships, HMM Oslo and HMM Copenhagen, embarked on their second journey full of export shipments from Asia to Europe.
Considering the safety of vessel operations and cargo weight, the maximum loadable capacity of each 24,000 TEU ship stands at around 19,300 TEUs on average.
Jae-hoon Bae, President & CEO of HMM, said, “This is a major milestone for us to expand our presence in the global market in close cooperation with THE Alliance.
“I am delighted that our efforts and dedication have come to fruition, which gave us a much needed uplift. We will take a big step forward to prove what we are capable of in the years ahead.”
HMM has returned to profit in the second quarter of this year, achieving an operating profit of USD 115 million and a net profit of USD 23 million, despite high volatility due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Additionally, HMM will seek to enhance its profitability based on the seamless operation of 24,000 TEU ships, the realignment of service routes, and a string of cost-cutting measures.
The carrier said it has led an effort to stabilise the logistics flow by deploying extra tonnage to the market where a swift delivery of cargo is required and fully operating its entire fleet without idle container vessels in the face of the recent surge in cargo demand.
In line with digital transformation, in September, HMM unveiled its new Fleet Control Centre to enhance operational excellence and efficiency in its modern fleet including twelve 24,000 TEU and eight 16,000 TEU containerships equipped with the latest smart ship solutions.
The centre provides real-time visibility into the location of ships, fuel consumption, weather conditions and cargo information etc. Furthermore, it enables to support the safety and efficiency of ships through a remote control system.
HMM will continue to secure the latest technologies in the maritime sector through analysing the operational efficiency and exploring the commercial viability of autonomous ships based on big data collected from the Fleet Control Centre. Additionally, HMM has joined forces with Samsung Heavy Industries(SHI) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering(DSME) to develop smart ship solutions.
