Wan Hai to inject newbuildings on the Pacific

Wan Hai is to replace two departing ships on the transpacific Wan Hai-PIL CTP service. The 3,065 teu HENRY and the 2,829 teu INDEPENDENCE will be replaced by two owned newbuildings to come on stream next month, the 4,252 teu WAN HAI 507 and the 2,646 teu WAN HAI 316.The WAN HAI 507 is the first of a new batch of four 4,252 teu ships ordered in July 2004 at CSBC (Taiwan), identical to the four units of the WAN HAI 501-WAN 506 series, all deployed on the Wan Hai-PIL Far East-Europe service. The WAN HAI 316 is the fifth of six 2,646 teu units of the 'Jurong 2500' design ordered by Wan Hai at the Jurong Shipyard (Singapore), and is delivered later than expected.As for the HENRY and INDEPENDENCE, they are among several ships of around 3,000 fixed during the past two months by CMA CGM, in anticipation of the launch in June of its new FE-Med service (North Africa Express).