Container line Zim, which recently cancelled off high-priced five newbuilding 12,600-teu boxships ordered at Samsung Heavy Industries of Korea in 2007, is said to have a plan to order similar size of 13,000-teu newbuilding containerships.
Sources said the Israeli line is considering a tender for 13,000-teu ultra-large boxships.
Recently cut-off boxships cost around $170m per ship, however, 13,000-teu newbuildings can be bought for around $100m now, amid prolonged market stagnancy and sharply declining prices.
Therefore, Zim decided to cancel those five newbuildings on order at Samsung, but the company said that it still has a taste for the latest generation of ultra-large containerships, to benefit from the economies of scale.
Meanwhile, Rafi Danieli, chief executive of Zim, said the company has not decided yet whether to directly own the newbuildings or lease the vessels through a long-term deal.
He added, “We have enough time until the end of 2015 or 2016 so we are not in a hurry.”
Danieli says the canceled newbuildings will definitely be replaced and will check out all the yards available.