Another sector in which Norwegian owners are investing and seeing changes is the specialist car carrier market
In the second half of 2016 Höegh Autoliners took delivery of the final pair of vessels in a series of six New Horizon class ships from Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co in China. The 200m long ships are among the largest in the world. They have capacity for 8,500 units, and their design with 14 decks enables them to accommodate about 15 per cent more cars than similar ships of their size. The adoption of a two-pillar support system means that the entire width of decks can be used.
They have been designed with a wider beam of 36.5m, reflecting the increased limits of the expanded Panama Canal. They have also been designed to reduce carbon emissions through their hull shape and propeller design which cuts fuel consumption compared with traditional designs.
Wilh Wilhelmsen is also active in this segment and sees it as an area of growth potential compared with some other shipowning markets. It has recently announced plans to merge its car carrier operations with longtime Swedish partner Wallenius which together operate Wilhelmsen Wallenius Logistics (WWL). When completed in the first half of 2017 Wilhelmsen and Wallenius will hold 37.8 per cent and 48 per cent of the new entity respectively, which will be called named Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics ASA. Eventually both companies will have an equal shareholding. It will also include their combined 80 per cent stake in South Korea-based car carrier operator EUKOR.
WWL is in the process of completing delivery of a series of eight newbuild car carriers, known as the Hero (high efficiency roro) class vessels, built at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries. Like the new Hoegh ships, the Hero-class vessels’ design is intended to take advantage of the newly widened Panama Canal. They are also designed with a shallower draught that earlier ships to give more flexibility for port calls. They are designed to reduce emissions. The 200m long and 36.5m wide vessels have capacity to up to 8,000 cars.
Wilhelmsen’s shipmanagement company Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM) has about 400 vessels under its management, about one third of which are under full technical management. Just under half are on crew management contracts and the remainder are on lay-up management.
In January 2017 WSM held the first of a series of seminars in Singapore intended to promote discussion on recent developments in shipping including market trends and regulatory issues, such as ballast water treatment and fuel quality. Carl Schou, president of WSM, said: “As the shaper of the shipmanagement industry, it is imperative that we stay relevant and adaptable with all the changes we are seeing.” WSM will hold further seminars in various locations during 2017.
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