Hapag-Lloyd has named Hamburg Express, the eponymous flagship of its new class of container ships, at the Burchardkai container terminal in the Port of Hamburg in Germany.
The ship is part of the FE3 Far East service connecting Asia and Europe.
Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said: “With the ‘Hamburg Express’ we are setting new standards in technology and sustainability. She will strengthen our status as number one in quality and efficiency for our customers, especially on the strategically important routes to the Far East and Europe.”
With a surface area of 399 m and a capacity of 23,660 TEU, the Hamburg Express is the seventh of twelve newbuilds from the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea. They represent the largest container ships flying the German flag.
These ships will improve efficiency and reduce emissions by 20% to 25%, thanks to their size, innovative design and LNG dual-fuel engines.
Mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher said: “The Hamburg Express is a flagship for the world-class shipping company Hapag-Lloyd and for Hamburg as a strong and cosmopolitan port city. The ship class sets new standards in terms of sustainability and economic efficiency, making shipping even more climate-friendly.
“This is in line with the objectives of the Hamburg port strategy and climate protection policy. The naming of the ship underlines the deep bond between Hamburg and Hapag-Lloyd, which goes back more than 175 years. I wish the Hamburg Express and its crew safe journeys and always enough water under the keel!”.
In other recent developments from the German liner, the Gemini cooperation agreement, a partnership between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk, has been launched ahead of its planned start in February 2025.
This development comes despite continued concerns from the US Federal Maritime Commission.
The two shipping giants have unveiled potential network plans, which depend on whether ships will continue to sail their route around the Cape of Good Hope in February.
This new alliance is poised to replace Maersk’s existing 2M agreement with MSC, signaling a significant shift in the maritime shipping alliance landscape.
“Hapag-Lloyd Christens the Hamburg Express Class Flagship” was originally created and published by Ship Technology, a brand owned by GlobalData.
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