Marseille shipping giant CMA CGM has reportedly upgraded three 16,000 TEU newbuildings that will be built at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) Co to 18,000 TEU, reports Lloyd's List.
The three giants are expected to allow the French shipping line to compete with the mammoth vessels in the fleets of its two P3 Alliance partners, Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC).
The super-sized ships are reported to cost an unconfirmed US$130 million each.
Late last year, a shipyard official told Lloyd's List "the shipowner asked for the upgrade [in November], as it felt the bigger capacity would be more competitive."
However, the change would not affect the delivery schedule, the spokesman said. The shipping line is declining comment.
Last July, the French line signed a long-term bareboat charter contract for three 16,000 TEU containerships ordered by CSSC Shipping Hong Kong, a leasing subsidiary at China State Shipbuilding Corp, the parent company of SWS.
CMA CGM already has three 16,000 TEU ships in service, built by South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. These were originally specified at 13,300 TEU.
The line has six more ultra-large units in the pipeline. Three of these, being built by Samsung Heavy Industries, were initially ordered at 12,600 TEU but later enlarged.
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