Pacific International Lines (PIL), the twelfth largest shipping line by vessel capacity and Singapore’s leading containership operator, has taken delivery of two new 11,800 TEU containerships.
The two vessels, named ‘Kota Pahlawan’ and ‘Kota Panjang’, are part of an order by PIL for 12 ships of the same size.
The ships were officially introduced into the carrier's fleet after a naming ceremony held in China on October 26, 2017.
Both have successfully completed their sea trials and have set off for Singapore to start the Far East – US AC5 service from the beginning of this month (November 2017).
The vessels will start from Xiamen in China and travel to three other regions in China — Nansha, Hong Kong and Yantian, before heading to Long Beach, a city in California, US, and travelling back to Xiamen.
PIL said it designed the vessels to have an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) “well below the required reference level” in a collaboration with Yangzijiang Group.
Each vessel has 1,400 reefer plugs that can accommodate up to a maximum of 2,800 TEU of refrigerated containers onboard.
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PIL said that the vessels, built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding at its Suzhou shipyard, are designed with “safety and crew’s comfort in mind”.
In its announcement, PIL stated: “There is an improved field of vision from the bridge and the crew living quarters have been laid out in such a configuration that the living area is away from the engine room, reducing engine noise to the crew quarters.”
“PIL looks forward to taking delivery of its other vessels and is confident that the high quality standards set by these two vessels will continue to be upheld.”
