The Israeli shipping company Zim has announced the long-term charter of ten dual-fuel container vessels. The total price tag is 2.3 billion dollars.
The ships each have a capacity of 11,500 TEU and can be operated with LNG. They are to be deployed worldwide.
Seven of the vessels will be chartered to Zim by Containers Ventures Holdings, a subsidiary of the TMS Group. Three are from a shipping company affiliated with Kenon Holdings – Zim’s largest shareholder until the end of 2024. The ships will be built at the Zhoushan Changhong shipyard in China and are expected to be delivered between 2027 and 2028.
“Having taken delivery of all 46 newbuildings we ordered in 2021 and 2022, which has significantly improved the efficiency of our operated capacity, we are pleased to further advance our fleet strategy by securing long-term charters for these 11,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships,” said Eli Glickman, President and CEO of Zim.
Zim focuses on commercial flexibility and growth
“These agreements secure access to an important shipping segment and strengthen our core LNG fleet, which is a key commercial differentiator.” Importantly, this versatile capacity is also ideally suited to Zim’s various global trades, increasing commercial flexibility and growth potential.
“The expansion of our LNG fleet supports Zim’s decarbonization goals and solidifies our position as an industry leader in reducing carbon intensity,” Glickman added. “Operating LNG capacity has proven to be economically beneficial for Zim, and we anticipate increasing demand for environmentally friendly shipping options, making access to LNG capacity even more advantageous in the future.” The addition of these ten LNG dual-fuel vessels will help keep the modernized fleet competitive and promote long-term profitable growth, which will benefit Zim’s shareholders, Glickman concluded.
Zim was founded in Israel in 1945 and is the world’s number 9 container liner shipping company by capacity. The shipping company operates in more than 100 countries and serves around 33,000 customers in over 330 ports worldwide. According to its own statements, the company relies on a differentiated global niche strategy. This is based on agile fleet management and deployment, covers the most important trade routes, but focuses on selected markets in which the company has a competitive advantage.
