OOCL rings the welcome bell to second eco-friendly 16,828 TEU containership

Hong Kong-based container shipping company Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has unveiled a brand-new eco-friendly 16,828 TEU boxship, the OOCL Iris.

As informed, OOCL Iris is the second in a series of ten container vessels ordered by OOCL and the first to be delivered by China’s Nantong COSCO Khi Ship Engineering (NACKS). The 165,000 dwt New Panamax unit is set to be deployed on the company’s Trans-Pacific Trade ECX1 service.

It is understood that OOCL Iris—along with its sister vessels—utilizes an ‘intelligent’ integrated platform for ‘efficient’ data collection, storage and transmission. Specifically, the ships reportedly feature an energy efficiency system that provides recommendations for speed optimization and trim adjustments.

According to OOCL, the system monitors real-time fuel consumption and power usage of the main engine—built by Swiss marine power company WinGD—as well as of the generator and the boiler, based on which it provides the optimization suggestions.

In addition to this, the boxship is said to have received three ‘smart ship’ and one enviro-friendly notation (ENVIRO), as well as a sustainable notation (SUSTAIN-1) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

When it comes to the newbulding’s name itself, OOCL explained that “Iris” is not only in reference to a type of flower but also a representation of the company’s IT system, dubbed the Integrated Regional Information System, which was launched in 1999.

As informed, it integrated the business processes of all OOCL offices globally, consolidating shipments and financial information into a single platform.

The Hong Kong-based shipping company welcomed and named the first 16,828 TEU ship, the OOCL Bauhinia, on December 3, 2024.

Measuring 366.99 meters in length, 51 meters in width, and 30.2 meters in depth, this newbuild is considered to be one of the largest ones that are capable of navigating the new locks of the Panama Canal.