Wan Hai Lines has agreed to charter two sub-Panamax container ships, one each from Borealis Maritime and Global Ship Lease, for three years.
The Taiwanese liner operator said on 23 December that it will charter Borealis’ 2006-built 2,741 TEU Jeju Island for a total of US$42.26 million over 3.17 years, working out to a daily hire of US$36,521. Wan Hai will also charter Global Ship Lease’s 2001-built 2,207 TEU Kumasi for US$43.5 million over 3.25 years, translating into a daily hire of US$36,669.
Wan Hai cited operational efficiencies as the reason for chartering the vessels for a significant period.
The 11th largest liner operator has a total capacity of 412,881 TEU, of which 59 ships consisting of 159,473 TEU, are chartered. Wan Hai also plans to buy more second-hand ships, after dedicating a total budget of US$880 million for this purpose.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
