• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
The CSSC Jiangnan shipyard delivered a 14,786 TEU, conventionally powered, compact neo-panamax (C-NPX) containership, christened BAL Athena, to the shipping company BAL Container Line.
"It is the third unit in a series of four KUN 14,000 twin vessels ordered by the Hong Kong-based company in June 2022 (2 vessels) and June 2024 (2 vessels)," reported Alphaliner.
"Jiangnan's KUN platform was developed in-house by the shipyard and encompasses various standard containership sizes with different propulsion options," it added.
BAL Athena measures 334.93 meters in length and 51 meters in beam (20 container rows), with a deadweight of 158,000 tons at a maximum design draft of 17 meters.
The unit is powered by a WinGD 8X92-B-LPSCR main engine generating 42,000 kW. The vessel also has the capacity to transport up to 1,500 refrigerated containers.
According to reports, BAL Container Line paid around 140 million dollars for each of the first two vessels and approximately 145 million for the third and fourth units.
"In mid-2024, the owner agreed to sell the first pair to the shipping company Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) for approximately 165 million dollars per vessel," the consultant specified.
"BAL Container Line's new BAL Athena is the first unit of the second pair of vessels and has been chartered to Maersk for an estimated period of five years," it added.
Meanwhile, the fourth vessel will enter service under the name MSC Florence and, as Alphaliner understands, has also been sold to MSC for a price close to 170 million dollars.
"The BAL Athena will make its debut on the Asia–North Europe loop (AE3/NE3) of the Gemini alliance. This service is currently operated with a mixed fleet of vessels ranging from 12,000 to 20,500 TEU, contributed by both Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd," the entity concluded.
