Safmarine presses on with shipbuilding programme

As beleaguered container shipping lines scramble to defer or cancel orders for new ships, Safmarine remains dead on course with its shipbuilding programme – and marine technical executive Stuart Jones is confident of a 30-strong, new-look fleet by 2015. What is more, says the former ship’s officer with a measure of pride, it has not been necessary for the South African-born carrier – part of the giant Danish AP Moller-Maersk group since 1999 – to walk away from a single new order. No sooner had Jones concluded this interview with FTW, than ZIM announced postponement of four 10 000 TEU vessels to 2014/15, on top of an earlier deferment of nine 12 600 TEU, containerships to the same time frame. Jones admits that there were some questions a year or two back about the relatively conservative number of Safmarine's newbuild orders, and that this low number of orders has now in fact turned out to be a blessing. He goes on to say that despite so many new containerships coming on stream, others still lie idle without much prospect of gainful employment before the expected market upturn at the end of 2010/early 2011. As with many shipping lines, Safmarine is loathe to talk matters monetary – the cost of new containerships, for instance – but it’s safe to suggest they come in at anywhere between US$40 million and US$100 million apiece. The past five years has seen Safmarine taking delivery of 18 new, state-ofthe- art containerships. They range in size from 2 100 to 6 100 TEUs. A new chapter dawns in Safmarine’s eventful history next year when it takes delivery of two new multi-purpose vessels (18 000dwt), to be followed by a further two in 2011. Although Safmarine runs an MPV fleet of 21 vessels, these are all chartered, so the Wuhu 4 are the first to be wholly owned and managed by the line. They are being built at the China’s Wuhu Xinlian Shipbuilding yard but Safmarine has declined an option on a further four from the yard. “While we are generally quite happy with the Wuhu yard and its workmanship, one can pick up secondhand multipurpose ships for a lot less these days.” The containership programme remains on track, with another three 4 500 TEU vessels are scheduled for delivery from Hyundai Heavy Industries by 2012. The global economic crisis has necessitated Safmarine looking anew at long-term expansion plans. Two older containerships, Safmarine Concord built in the 1988, and Safmarine Oranje built in 1991, are still being deployed but are currently being evaluated by their owner in terms of continued operation. Before the end of 2009, the UK-flagged Safmarine Cotonou (built in 1986) will head for Tanjung Pelepas for her inspection and Green Passport (inventory of all materials, operationally generated wastes and stores on board) before taking her final voyage to the Jiangyin shipyard in China for clean recycling.