Evergreen launches second Panamax ship

On 17 October 2001, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries launched Ever Envoy, the second in a series of five 6332TEU E-type container vessels that it is building for Taiwan's Evergreen Group at its Kobe shipyard. She is due for delivery in February 2002.

Evergreen's founder and Group Chairman, Mr Chang Yung-fa, christened the ship while Mrs Janet Town, wife of the Managing Director of Halifax Asset Finance Limited (UK), Mr Lindsay Town, cut the ceremonial rope sending the ship down the slipway and into the water for the first time.

According to Group Chairman Y F Chang:

"The new E-type vessels are an important addition to our fleet as they will enable us to continue upgrading our principal East-West services and phase out older and less efficient ships. While we are facing a difficult and uncertain future at present, Evergreen is confident of the medium to long term future. Ships are not built solely for today's market; they are built to trade for 20 years or more and we believe the E-types will serve us well for many years to come."

With an overall length of 300 meters and a beam of 42.8 meters, the new E-type vessels will be the largest ships in the Evergreen fleet. They are able to carry containers 17-abreast on deck and 15-wide below deck. They have a deadweight of 75,000 tonnes on a service draft of 13.5 meters. Each vessel has a single 12-cylinder Mitsubishi Sulzer RTA84C main engine developing 66,120bhp (48,600KW) to provide for a service speed of 25 knots.

Evergreen Group owns 128 container vessels with a total capacity exceeding 350,000 TEU. By 2002, the fleet will be further expanded to 137 vessels, totaling 400,000 TEU.

NB: The photograph to accompany this release is available and can be downloaded from the Dunelm PR website found at: www.dunelmpr.co.uk. By clicking on the photo gallery icon followed by the Evergreen logo you will be taken to a selection of thumbnail images. By selecting the thumbnail image you are interested in you will be taken to a larger, downloadable image. The caption for the photograph reads:

"The 6332 TEU Ever Envoy takes to the water for the very first time at Mitsubishi's Kobe shipyard. "