OOCL names 4,500-TEU vessel built by Hudong in Shanghai

Hong Kong's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Orient Overseas (International) Ltd, has held a naming ceremony for the second of two 4,583-TEU newbuilds produced by the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) in Shanghai. "OOCL has been linking Australia with the world for over three decades. Some 33 years ago, the OOCL Ambassador, an 800-TEU ship began our services to and from Australia. I am proud to see today that the OOCL Australia, a 4,583-TEU newbuilding continues that long tradition," said OOIL chairman and CEO CC Tung at the event attended by Alan Thomas, the Australian ambassador to China. The "OOCL Australia" will be deployed on the Australia China Express route to serve the Asia-Australia trade. The port rotation for this service is: Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and back to Kaohsiung for a 35-day round trip, a company statement said.