South Korea’s Eukor Car Carriers orderes four the world's largest pure car/truck carriers

The Seoul-based operator has ordered four 8,100-car-equivalent-unit (ceu) PCTCs at its favourite yard, Hyundai Heavy Industries, for delivery in 2010. Eukor spokesman Martin Malmfors confirms the orders and says the 8,100-ceu PCTCs will become the world's largest at 232 metres long and will be equipped with a 150-tonne stern ramp and 13 single-stanchion-row cargo decks, of which four decks will be hoistable. Eukor would not say how much the ships are costing but market players have put their price at close to $80m each. “These orders are further confirmation of our long term industrial relationship with Hyundai,” said Eukor president and chief executive Carl-Johan Hagman. In addition, Eukor has also lengthened four 6,500-ceu PCTCs under construction at Hyundai to 8,100 ceu. Eukor is believed to have ordered the ships early last year at $72.5m each. “Eukor is constantly upgrading its vessels to larger capacity and instead of sending the 6,500-ceu newbuildings for elongation later, we might as well do them now,” said Malmfors. Eukor says the lengthening will increase the ships' capacity by 20%. Eukor, the third-biggest car-carrier operator after Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), controls a fleet of more than 85 vessels and transported 3.3m ceu last year. Including the latest four-ship order, Eukor has more than 30 vessels for delivery up to 2011.