MARCH 25, 2013—Singapore’s NOL Group is spending $4 billion to renew its fleet with some of the most-efficient, environmentally friendly containerships in the market. It recently took delivery of the APL Temasek, the first of ten 14,000-TEU containerships.

Built by Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), The APL Temasek was officially named in a ceremony in Singapore by Mrs Mary Tan (shown at center of photo), the wife of Singapore’s President Tony Tan Keng Yam. The vessel’s name was inspired by the old name of Singapore, meaning “Sea Town.” NOL said that APL Temasek’s sister ships will likewise be named after icons of the island state. 

“Today, we celebrate a landmark in NOL’s history,” says NOL Group Chairman Kwa Chong Seng. “We are modernizing our fleet, improving our cost structure, and investing in the future. To compete successfully in today’s marketplace, we must ensure that we have the most competitive product with the latest technology, design and sustainability features.” 

The 14,000-TEU series of ships feature several innovations that improve operational efficiency. For example, its MAN B&W S-type long-stroke main engine is equipped with electronic fuel injection which is optimized to operate at various loads efficiently. 

In addition, its specially designed bow and broader hull form improve operating efficiency at various speeds, especially for slow steaming. NOL estimates that with the new design, it is able to improve fuel efficiency by about 20% to 30% per TEU for a speed range of 15-18 knots, compared to previous designs.

The 369m next generation containership is the result of a close cooperation between APL, the container shipping arm of the NOL Group, with HHI and classification society DNV.

APL worked with the shipyard and DNV to analyze the expected trading conditions for the containerships and identified nine different speed and draft combinations. The result was an optimized bow and hull form that maximizes operating efficiency.

Fuel has emerged as the biggest operating expense for ship operators. NOL says the 14,000 TEU boxships could deliver an estimated 16 percent fuel savings between the speed range of 15 and 18 knots. This is equivalent to an estimated $3 million in annual bunker fuel savings per ship.

Some of the green features of the containership include the ability to connect to shore power, installation of a ballast water treatment system, an online energy efficiency monitoring system and DNV’s Green Passport, which will track and document all of the hazardous materials used to build the ship and incorporated during the vessel’s service life.

By consuming less fuel, this new series of ships will also emit less carbon emissions. Its fuel efficiency, measured by the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), is certified to be 33% better than guidelines set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

“With the delivery of this new series, we are on track to fulfill current and future requirements for more economical and environmentally-sustainable ship operations,” says Kwa.

The ship will operate between ports in China, Singapore and Europe through the Suez Canal.