With effect from 4 April, 2004, Hatsu Marine Ltd, the UK-flag container
vessel operator that is part of Taiwan’s Evergreen Group, is
to take over from Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd. (EMC)
its operational responsibility for the ELS service. In so doing, it
will become a partner alongside Lloyd Triestino and Hapag Lloyd in
the day to day management of this intra-Europe regional service.
This is an important step for Hatsu as it is the
first time the company has assumed such a role, explains the company’s
Chairman, Maurice Storey:
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“Hatsu
Marine Limited was established as a container shipping company
in January 2002 and in addition to constructing seven new
containerships for UK flag operation, we have been building
up our line management capabilities. The ELS service, linking
the Mediterranean and North Europe, is one of the Evergreen
Group’s regional services. We expect to take on further
service management responsibilities in the near future, including
the launch of new services centred on Northern Europe, working
independently and with partners.” |
The ELS or Europe – Levant Express service
offers a weekly schedule maintained by four chartered vessels that
maintain the following port rotation:
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Rotterdam – Hamburg –
Antwerp – Lisbon – Gioia Tauro -Taranto –
Piraeus – Istanbul – Izmir – Taranto –
Rotterdam. |
The ELS service has been tailored to fit into the
partner lines’ existing global service networks and connect
with a large number of additional ports in the Mediterranean, Adriatic
and Black Sea. In the case of Hatsu and Lloyd Triestino, they are
able to take full advantage of the feeder services that operate out
of Taranto, the Evergreen Group’s principal hub port in the
Mediterranean.
Over the North European ports covered by the ELS
service, links are provided to Scandinavia and Baltic Sea ports.
Note to editors:
Hatsu Marine Limited, a UK company with its headquarters
in London, was established by the Evergreen Group as a UK-flag container
shipping company in January 2002. Its first ship was the 6332TEU Hatsu
Eagle, completed in October 2001. Three sister vessels - Hatsu
Envoy, Hatsu Excel and Hatsu Elite - entered service in 2002
while the fifth ship in the E-type series from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,
Hatsu Ethic, was delivered in January 2003. The company also
took delivery of two 1618TEU P-type vessels, Hatsu Pride
in January 2003 and Hatsu Prima in July 2003.
The E-type vessels are currently operating in the
transpacific trades between the Far East and North America and through
a series of slot exchange agreements with other Evergreen Group members,
Hatsu now offers US and Asian customers seven weekly transpacific
services.
In January 2004, again through a slot exchange arrangement,
Hatsu launched a weekly service between North Europe and Asia. It
is envisaged that Hatsu will launch further services on this route
and elsewhere during 2004. Details of current services can be found
on the Hatsu website www.hatsu-marine.com.
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