Last Friday (February 6), OOCL held a christening ceremony for the seventh Panamax vessel in its line of sixteen 4,500TEU vessels ordered from Samsung Heavy Industries, Korea.
The new vessel was christened the 'OOCL Norfolk' by sponsor Mrs Renate Kuznik, the wife of Harald Kuznik, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Shipping of HSH Nordbank.
SY Bae, President and Shipyard General Manager of Samsung Heavy Industries, hosted the ceremony at Geoje.
Ken Cambie, Chief Financial Officer, OOIL, explained that the new vessel was named after the Port of Norfolk in Virginia, USA.
"The Port of Norfolk is a vibrant trading hub on the East Coast of the United States, and is one of the top ten US ports by cargo volume," he said. "With its strategic location at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Norfolk's deep-water channels provide a vital link for the import and export of goods from across the US and around the world. We are certain that the 'OOCL Norfolk' will live up to its name by providing a vital link to world trade."
Panamax class ships are exceptionally versatile and can be used in most trades routes including the Intra-Asia trade, the Australia / New Zealand trade routes and they can transit the Panama Canal.
