OOCL has named its latest 4,578-TEU newbuild the OOCL Yokohama at Geoje Shipyard where she was built by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in South Korea.

The OOCL Yokohama is the second in a series of sixteen 4,578-TEU vessels ordered from the shipbuilder since 2004, a statement said.

CC Tung, chairman of OOIL, said: "OOCL Yokohama belongs to our modern fleet of Panamax class vessels. It is designed to transit the Panama Canal from Asia to our important market in the US east coast. It is also versatile and can be deployed in many markets such as Australia, intra-Asia and the Middle East."

The OOCL Yokohama will be deployed under the AEA1 service, after its initial deployment in KTX1 service in the intra-Asia region, providing a vital link between Asia and Australia.

The OOCL Yokohama's port rotation is: Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and back to Kaohsiung in a 35-day voyage.

The ships will be part of a fleet of 18 Panamax vessels once the other 16 SHI-built ships are delivered. In addition, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard also delivered two vessels of the same class in 2006.