SCI to deploy new box ships in India-Europe sector

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

31 Aug 2008

Shipping Corporation of India has decided to deploy its new container vessels in the India-Europe sector. The vessels are to be delivered in October. “We plan to deploy the new vessels in the India-Europe sector given the volumes in the sector. This will allow us an extra capacity of about 600 twenty feet equivalent units (TEUs) in each vessel,” Mr J.N. Das, Director (Liner and Passenger), SCI, told Business Line. TEU is the standard size of containers. Currently, SCI operates the Indian Subcontinent Europe Service (ISES) in partnership with ZIM Israel, Yang-Ming Lines of Taiwan, MISC of Malaysia and K-Line of Japan.
The port rotation for ISES is Colombo-JNP-PortSaid-Barcelona-Felixstowe-Rotterdam–Hamburg-PortSaid-Colombo.
SCI, the only Indian shipping firm that offers liner services, will receive two container vessels of 4,400 TEU capacity each in October from Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.
During October to December, two vessels of SCI (of about 2,500 TEU and 2,700 TEU capacity) that are currently deployed in the ISES sector, will be deployed in those sectors of SCI where some vessels are to be dry-docked.
After December, these vessels are likely to be diverted to a new sector.
“We are studying various options, including the India-US (East coast) route,” Mr Das said, adding that apart from the market potential, the prevailing freight rates and fuel cost will drive the decision. SCI withdrew from the US East Coast service a few months ago.
The service was being run with 2,800-TEU capacity vessels in partnership with Emirates Shipping.
SCI currently operates four cellular container services covering the Far East (INDFEX), China (INDFEX 2), UK-Continent (ISES) and SCI Middle-East India Liner Express Service (SMILE).
The INDFEX service is a trilateral joint service — SCI, Pacific International Line (PIL) of Singapore and K-Line of Japan. This is a weekly service connecting NSICT to Busan in 16 days and to Shanghai in 18 days.
The port of call is Busan - Shanghai-Hongkong - Singapore - Portkelang - Colombo-NSICT-Colombo - Singapore – Busan.
SCI operates the INDFEX2 service with PIL and K-Line, which connects North China to East Coast of India, Chennai and Visakhapatnam.
The ports of call are Dalian - Xingang - Qingdao - Hongkong - Singapore - Portkelang - Chennai - Vizag - Singapore – Hong Kong – Dalian.
The SMILE Service is a direct independent service between the Indian sub-continent and Gulf, and will have links with SCI’s long haul services in Far East and the UK-Continent.
The port rotation for SMILE service is Colombo–Kochi- JNPT– JebelAli – Dammam – Colombo.

Source: Hindu Business Line