Hapag-Lloyd has welcomed the seventh ship in a series of 12 new buildings with a capacity of 23,660 TEUs, being built at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea.

The latest vessel, named "Hamburg Express", has a length of 399 meters; these new buildings are the largest container ships ever to sail under the German flag. 

Hapag-Lloyd said that due to their size and designs and LNG dual-fuel engines, the vessels in this class will significantly boost efficiency per container transported and reduce emissions by 20% to 25% already in the near future.

"Hamburg Express" – the eponymous flagship of Hapag-Lloyd's "Hamburg Express" class – was christened at the Container Terminal Burchardkai in the Port of Hamburg on November 4.

 [Source: Hamburg Express]

As the ship's naming patron, Eva Maria Tschentscher – Hamburg's First Lady and the wife of Hamburg's First Mayor, Dr Peter Tschentscher – performed the traditional christening of the container ship, which currently operates on the FE3 Far East service between Asia and Europe. 

"With the 'Hamburg Express,' we are setting new standards in technology and sustainability. She will reinforce our status as the number one in quality and efficiency for our customers, especially on the strategically important Far East-Europe routes," said Rolf Habben Jansen, chief executive officer (CEO) of Hapag-Lloyd.

Tschentscher, for his part, noted that the "Hamburg Express" ship class set new standards in sustainability and economic efficiency, making shipping even more climate-friendly.

"This is in line with the objectives of Hamburg's port strategy and climate protection policy," he said.

Hapag-Lloyd has a fleet of 287 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 2.2 million TEUs.