First of twelve 13,000 TEU LNG-ready boxships joins HMM

South Korean shipping major HMM has taken delivery of the first of twelve new LNG-ready 13,000 containerships.

On January 24, 2024, a naming ceremony for HMM Garnet was held at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, Korea.

In June 2021, HMM signed a formal contract to build its twelve 13,000 TEU containerships with compatriot shipbuilders Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, each building six vessels, respectively.

The company expects to enhance its environmental capabilities by adding a dozen newly launched 13,000 TEU containerships. All ships are designed to be LNG-ready, and advanced energy-saving technologies are applied to increase fuel efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions.

One remarkable feature of the vessels is the latest smart ship solution. All operational data will be transmitted to HMM’s Fleet Control Center in real-time to ensure complete visibility over the ships.

“We expect our new ships to give us strong environmental credentials and to provide us with the capacity and flexibility in the face of growing competition in the global market,” Kyung Bae Kim, President and CEO of HMM, commented.

Flying the flag of Liberia, HMM Garnet features a length of 335 meters and a width of 51 meters, data provided by VesselsValue shows.

From this February, HMM Garnet will be deployed on the East Coast 1 (EC1) route under THE Alliance’s product plan, with its port rotation starting at Kaohsiung, Xiamen, Yantian, Shanghai, Ningbo, Busan, Yantian, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, and Singapore.

When the delivery of twelve 13,000 TEU ships is completed this year, HMM’s fleet capacity is forecast to reach a total of 1 million TEUs. In particular, large containerships of more than 10,000 TEU will account for 80% of HMM’s entire fleet, enhancing cost structure and operational efficiency.

The twelve 13,000TEU vessels will bear the names of birthstones from January to December, the company added.