MSC to lease five mega vessels

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is to lease five 18,000 teu capacity ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) for 15 years from tanker operator Scorpio Group and China’s Bank of Communications (BoCom), according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Scorpio Group had ordered three such vessels from Samsung Heavy Industries, costing around US$150m each, while BoCom ordered two from Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co; both the sellers are Korean shipyards.

Last year, six ULCVs were also ordered to be leased by MSC; all 11 ships will be deployed between Asia and Europe and will be delivered between 2015 and 2016.