Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. (Yang Ming) will add one more new 11,000 TEU container vessel, ‘YM Throne’. The vessel is chartered from Shoei Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. and built by Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The naming ceremony of YM Throne took place at Imabari Hiroshima Shipyard today (5th). Yang Ming’s attendees joined the ceremony remotely at their Taipei office. Mr. Hsieh-Lung Yeh, Director-General of the Maritime and Port Bureau, MOTC was invited to officially name the ship, and Mrs. Shu-Chu Li, wife of Director-General of the Maritime and Port Bureau, MOTC had the honor to perform the ceremonial cord-cutting to wish the ship and its crew the best of luck on their future voyages.

To further strengthen Yang Ming’s mid- to long-term operational efficiency, the company ordered a total of fourteen 11,000 TEU newbuildings through long-term charter agreements with ship owners. YM Throne is the thirteenth in the series and will be delivered on August 31st. This type of vessels has a nominal capacity of 11,860 TEU and is equipped with 1,000 plugs for reefer containers. With a length of 333.9 meters, a width of 48.4 meters, a draft of 16 meters, these vessels are designed to cruise at a speed up to 23 knots. The containerships incorporate various environmental features including scrubbers, Water Ballast Treatment Plant and Alternative Marine Power system.

This type of vessels adopts the twin-island design to increase loading capacity and navigational visibility to ensure more efficiency and safety. The ship hull form optimization will further increase energy saving, reduce overall emissions and increase fleet diversity. In addition, the ships are designed with shorter length and beam, which makes them easier to maneuver during berthing or departure. The new dimensions enable these ships to call at major ports worldwide and pass through the new Panama Canal with no restriction, and facilitate greater flexibility in vessel deployment.

Yang Ming started taking delivery of these new vessels from 2020. These additions can lower the average age of Yang Ming’s global fleet, reduce unit cost and achieve energy efficiency. In addition, these newbuildings will help the company to proactively cope with the challenges faced by the fast-changing shipping industry. YM Throne will be deployed on Yang Ming’s Trans-Pacific service PN3 after delivery. The new vessel will not only meet customer needs but also maximize capacity utilization. The joining of YM Throne will significantly enhance the competitiveness of Yang Ming’s global fleet and service network.

The port rotation for the 1st voyage of YM Throne in PN3 is Hong Kong – Yantian – Shanghai – Pusan – Vancouver – Tokyo – Kobe – Pusan – Kaohsiung – Hong Kong.