The “Colorado” is the second 5,500 TEU container ship to be delivered to MPC Container Ships. It is being chartered by the Israeli carrier Zim.
A total of six of the “Ecobox” newbuildings were ordered in Korea – four of them on behalf of the Norwegian ship investor Ocean Yield, two on behalf of MPC Container Ships (MPCC). They were built by the Korean shipyard HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (formerly Hanjin).
Like its sister ship, the “Zim Mackenzie”, the wide beam “Colorado” is also entering into a long-term charter agreement with the Israeli liner shipping company Zim for seven years. It is reportedly currently being prepared for its maiden voyage.
Thanks to their eco-design, these units produce around 20% fewer emissions than conventional ships. They are initially designed for the use of fossil fuel, but are already technically prepared for a later conversion to methanol. These are numbers five and six from the same HJ series.
After Ecobox comes Greenbox
After the Ecobox ships, MPCC has two more, albeit smaller, ships in the pipeline. The feeders ordered in China are designed directly for methanol and have a capacity of 1,300 TEU. These newbuildings are due to join the fleet by the end of the year. They have the necessary ice class for year-round operation along the west coast of Norway.
Another feeder (also 1,300 TEU) ordered by MPCC together with Unifeeder at the beginning of 2024 is due to be delivered at the end of 2026. The newbuilding, which is equipped with a methanol-capable dual-fuel main engine, will enter into a seven-year charter contract with shortsea shipping company Unifeeder. With ice class 1A, it is perfectly equipped for Baltic Sea traffic.
The Hamburg-based MPC Group has € 4.1bn in assets under management in ships alone. The investments include a stake in MPC Container Ships (MPCC), which is listed on the Oslo stock exchange and is now the largest single shareholder with 14%. The fleet most recently comprised 56 ships with a total capacity of around 126,035 TEU. Just over a month ago, it was announced that Constantin Baack would succeed Ulf Holländer as the Group’s new CEO.
