First Container Ship Completed - Naming Ceremony in Hamburg

Papenburg, 28.01.2005 - On 28th January 2005 MEYER WERFT in Papenburg delivered the first container ship for Hansa Hamburg Shipping International. The ship will be named by Mrs. Gabriele Block, wife of the CEO of Hansa Hamburg, on 29th January 2005. The 1,600 TEU vessel has been chartered by the Canadian operator CP Ships and will be in service on the route Montreal - Northern Europe.

MS Eilbek, yard number S. 671, is the first unit out of four novel container ships having a freight capacity of 1,620 containers (TEU). The other three ships of this type will follow in the spring and summer of 2005.

These slender-built ships are 169.0 m long, 27.2 m wide, and can operate at a speed of 20 knots. From a technical viewpoint, the ships are outstanding due to the highest ice class (Finnish-Swedish 1A Super) and the special arrangement of the hatches. In the midship section they are designed as so-called "open-top ships," while on the forward end as well as on both sides hatch covers are provided. Such a triple, longitudinal division of the cargo hold is an absolute novelty.

This innovative ship design allows for the best possible flexibility when operating the vessel as feeder ship, which means a supply vessel for the very big container ships. Each of the MEYER WERFT newbuildings is equipped with a two-stroke diesel engine by MAN B&W. Moreover, the ships are fitted with a deck solely dedicated to up to eight persons only.

With these newbuildings made by MEYER WERFT, Hansa Hamburg Shipping International clearly stands by Germany as a shipbuilding country.

MS Eilbek - Main Particulars