New ships to sail on NZ run

By Yoke Har Lee

Maersk Sealand will use four new vessels for its New Zealand services, starting in March.

The ships, an investment of more than $US100 million ($192 million), form part of a building order of 16 vessels placed by Maersk with Taiwanese shipbuilder China Shipping Corporation.

The first vessel, named Nele Maersk, was "christened" in Kaohsiung in Taiwan on Friday.

The other three ships to be used on the New Zealand run are staggered for delivery during the first half of this year.

The line, barely three years old in New Zealand, has had an aggressive marketing programme.

Using Singapore as a hub, it will add its seventh New Zealand port of call with a fortnightly service to Timaru this year.

That service will alternate with the existing fortnightly run to Lyttelton.

Maersk also has a weekly fixed-day service to Auckland, Tauranga and Napier, and a fortnightly service to Port Chalmers and Nelson.

Danish-owned Maersk last year acquired Sealand, making it one of the world's largest container lines with 250 vessels.