Liner shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has sold three of its older containerships for green recycling in China and Turkey.
The three vessels, Deira, the Najran and the Sakaka, have been part of the Hapag-Lloyd fleet since its merger with UASC at the end of May, and will now be transferred to shipyards in China and Turkey that are specially equipped and certified for safe and environmentally sound recycling.
The ships have a capacity of 4,101 TEU each and were delivered to UASC from Japanese shipyards in 1997 and 1998. Hapag-Lloyd said the ships are being taken from the market as they no longer fit with its portfolio, as the company continues to implement its internal Ship Recycling Policy adopted in May 2014, whereby ships which are no longer needed must be recycled in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
“As one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies, we are aware of our ecological and social responsibilities,” said Anthony Firmin, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hapag-Lloyd. Hapag-Lloyd is thus taking a pioneering role here. In 2015, the Company sold 16 of its fleet’s older units, which were also disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.