Hoegh to upgrade frequency on US – SA route 15 new vessels on order CLIVE EMDON RO-RO CARRIER Hoegh Autoliners is set to upgrade frequency on its current US – Africa trade route to two sailings a month. The line, which currently offers a sailing every three weeks from the US East Coast via West Africa to South Africa with a transit time of 30 days, has set an early 2007 deadline for the upgrade. Last year the line shipped the equivalent of 177 FEUs in new cars, trucks and heavy equipment to South Africa from the USA, moving 100 000 cubic metres or 40% of all ro/ro imports from the US, according to marketing manager Carol Graham. “Our export liftings for 2006 from South Africa amounted to over 600 000 cbm (60 000 Car Equivalent Units) for all destinations.” The line ships the equivalent of 1.8 million cars a year worldwide. Cargo to South Africa is an even mix of cars, SUVs and vans, and high heavy cargo (trucks, buses, agricultural equipment, mobile cranes, construction equipment, boats and static cargo on mafi trailers). With a fleet of 55 vessels the line has been calling at South Africa since 1993. In the past three years it has taken delivery of 11 new vessels and has another 15 on its order book for delivery between 2007 and 2011. The new vessels are capable of carrying up to 6100 CEUs (car equivalent units) while the most recent orders – known as Horizon Class vessels being built by Vinashin in Vietnam – are designed for a cargo capacity of up to 7 000 CEUs. The ships are usually designed with 12 decks, some of which are adjustable, providing the required flexibility to adapt the cargo mix to the trade route on which the vessel is employed. “As long as it’s on wheels or can be safely put on wheels we can ship it,” says Graham. In Europe the company loads 3-4 times a month at Bremerhaven, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Le Havre, Santander and Southampton in UK for South Africa, Indian Ocean, Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. Regular connections to this service are available from Sweden and Finland. This service also caters for South African exports to Australia, New Zealand and the Indian Ocean.
