Evergreen Line

January 13, 2014

Evergreen Line is continuing its fleet renewal program and has signed charter agreements with both Costamare and Shoei Kisen Kaisha to each provide, on charter, five 14,000 teu containerships to be delivered during 2016 and 2017 respectively.

The ten new vessels, which include the seven announced last month, will further optimize the competitiveness of Evergreen’s operating fleet and reduce the carrier’s unit costs.  As this is a fleet renewal program, the newbuildings will be replacements for existing vessels and balanced by the redelivery of currently chartered ships when charter periods expire.  Evergreen’s operating tonnage therefore will not be increased.

The ten ships will be fully equipped with fuel saving technology.  Their fuel consumption will be substantially lower than ships of the same size built prior to 2010.  These ships will not only enhance the line’s operating performance but will also meet the stringent requirements for environmental protection that the carrier has set itself.

January 07, 2014. 

In November last year, the powerful typhoon Haiyan devastated the central region of the Philippines, causing catastrophic damage. The victims are still in urgent need of life’s daily necessities. Evergreen Line has worked with international aid agencies to arrange free transportation services to carry relief supplies to the affected areas.

These relief supplies, including drinking water, dry food, tents, medical and sanitarian items, were collected by Crisis Relief Services & Training (CREST), a non-profit Christian humanitarian organization in Malaysia. Four twenty-foot containers of relief supplies were carried by Evergreen’s ITAL ONORE from Port Klang to Kaohsiung on December 31. The supplies then connected to the UNI-ASPIRE for delivery to Cebu in the Philippines on January 03.

CREST is planning to deliver another three twenty-foot containers of humanitarian supplies with Evergreen Line’s help for transportation from Port Klang in early February.

Following the natural disaster two months ago, the Philippines has been receiving continuous supplies of humanitarian aid from around the world.  For its part, in addition to providing free transportation services, Evergreen has also provided seventeen forty-foot containers to International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), a terminal operator in Manila, for delivery of relief supplies.

Evergreen is pleased to be able to take concrete action to bring relief supplies to the disaster areas and to fulfill its corporate social responsibility as a global ocean carrier.

Evergreen Line has announced an improvement to its services to and from the North African state of Libya with the launch of a new Group-operated feeder service from Piraeus to Tripoli.

The LYS3 Service will begin operation at the end of November and significantly enhance Evergreen’s network coverage for importers to the oil-rich state.

This new loop will be operated by the 700 teu capacity M/V LUCA on a dedicated, fortnightly basis and will extend the line’s services to Libya significantly.  Evergreen already has its LYS serving Benghazi via the network hub at Piraeus and its LYS2 linking Misrata with Piraeus, Mersin and Alexandria.

Evergreen is striving to provide the most comprehensive container service connecting Libya to the world’s economic markets via its extensive global port network.

November 14, 2013

Evergreen Line is partnering with Hanjin to create its New Ho Chi Minh Service (NHS).  Providing a significant boost to the service offered to shippers in the region, NHS will link Korea, China, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia.

The NHS service will employ four ships each with a 2,500 teu capacity (one supplied by Evergreen and the others by Hanjin). The service will have a weekly frequency and a port rotation as follows: Kwangyang, Busan, Shanghai, Shekou, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Port Kelang, Penang, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Kwangyang. The first vessel on the NHS is planned to sail from Kwangyang on the 22nd of November.

The ASEAN countries, made up of the majority of South-east Asian states, boast some of the highest forecast growth rates of any region of the world.  In 2013 the ASEAN economy looks set to grow by 5% and next year’s estimate is 5.4% according to IMF’s World Economic Outlook report.  For this reason Evergreen is seeking to provide an even more comprehensive network service than it already offers. The inception of the NHS is in keeping with this aim.

In addition, it is believed that the free trade development that will potentially result from the establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will further drive cargo demand in the Intra-Asia trades. Negotiations to establish RCEP were initiated this year between ASEAN, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Expresses viewpoint at TPM Asia Conference in Shenzhen

Shenzhen, China, October 16, 2013 – Bronson Hsieh, Second Vice Group Chairman of the Evergreen Group, which operates global carrier Evergreen Line, said that “American manufacturing and exports will be greatly restored,” accelerated by the production of shale gas and oil, changes of China’s production costs and rising incomes in emerging markets that demand US-made products.

As keynote speaker at the Trans-Pacific Maritime (TPM) Asia conference, Mr. Hsieh noted: “Shale oil and shale gas bring significant changes to the US economic development. Shale oil increases the US’s domestic supply and reduces oil imports. Shale gas enhances the competitiveness of US manufacturing by providing low-cost feedstock to petrochemical companies and inexpensive energy for other gas-intensive industries.”

Next, “The Obama administration has taken many initiatives to encourage the renaissance of manufacturing industries” said Mr. Hsieh. US government and states’ incentive packages continue to attract domestic and foreign investments. The US government is also active in the modernization of port facility and negotiation of free trade agreements. The efforts will accelerate the development of trade growth and cargo flows, he added.

Citing the analysis of Boston Consulting Group, he said “Given the changes of production costs in China, the advantages of US manufacturing will start to emerge.”  He believes that with rising incomes, emerging markets are expected to increase demands for high-quality American products, enhancing the growth potential of US exports.

In summing up, he said: “If these trends continue as forecast, they will strengthen the competitiveness of US manufacturing and boost exports.” Besides, the cargo growth will benefit container carriers by reducing equipment reposition costs and add more growth momentum to the port throughputs.

US imports will be influenced as well. In the short term, the re-shoring industries are expected to increase supply for domestic consumption and may slow down import growth. In the long term, export growth and declining oil imports will reduce US trade deficit, strengthen the value of US dollar and encourage imports.

August 28, 2013

Evergreen Group today held the naming ceremony for its first L-type vessel built by CSBC Corporation in Taiwan, the Ever Living. The ceremony held at CSBC’s Kaohsiung shipyard was officiated by Mr. S.S. Lin, First Vice Group Chairman of Evergreen Group. The official rope-cutting of the new 8,508-TEU vessel was performed by Dr. Jih-Chu Lee, Chairperson of Taiwan Financial Holdings and Bank of Taiwan. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from Taiwan and abroad.

In his speech, Mr. S.S. Lin said, “The ten L-type vessels are the biggest and most advanced among our owned fleet.  Over the next two years, their deliveries will substantially enhance the competitiveness of our operating fleet in the global shipping market.”

Evergreen Group signed a contract with CSBC to build ten L-type vessels in May 2011; the biggest order received by CSBC to date.  To celebrate the naming CSBC arranged a performance of Chinese lion dance and invited the Evergreen Brass Band, part of the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO), to perform live. The stirring music enhanced the ceremonial atmosphere of the event tremendously.

CSBC committed significant resources to the building of the Ever Living, spending nine months in optimizing the hull design.  The results of testing by the Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA) revealed a speed 0.7 knot faster than the average value experienced by the Institute and a 0.45 knot higher speed compared to the expected performance of the optimized design.  Given the same engine specification and operated at an identical speed, the hull design can achieve reduced fuel consumption of more than 10%.

For the main hull structure, CSBC adopted high tensile steel (HT47), which was jointly developed by the shipbuilder and China Steel Corporation in Taiwan.  The special metal enables the ship to achieve the same structural strength with less material.  With lighter weight, the vessel requires less propulsion, saves energy and produces lower carbon emission.  In July the sea trials of Ever Living revealed excellent performances, confirming that CSBC’s quality and technologies can keep pace with other leading shipbuilding companies.

Ever Living is 334.8 meters in length, 45.8 meters wide, with 948 reefer plugs and a draft of 14.2 meters.  The vessel can cruise at a speed up to 24.5 knots.  The ship, owned by Evergreen Marine (Singapore) Pte Ltd, will join Evergreen Line’s Far East – Europe route after her delivery on August 30.

Evergreen vessels, the Ever Vital and Ever Vigor were the first two containerships built by CSBC and ordered by Evergreen back in 1977 and now, Ever Living is the biggest containership built by CSBC. The construction of the L-type vessel not only indicates an important milestone for the local shipbuilding industry but also highlights the enhanced competitiveness achieved by the cooperation among Taiwan’s shipbuilding, steelmaking and marine transportation sectors.