Classification society ABS has signed a Design Development Agreement with Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI) to develop a new generation of feeder container carriers.
ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Howard Fireman and SDARI President Jintao Hu, signed the agreement at SDARI on 3 December in Shanghai, China.
“Changing environmental regulations, unpredictable energy prices and volatile freight rates have made it imperative for ship designers to continuously improve the operational and environmental performance of their next generation designs,” Fireman said. “ABS is working with industry as designs change and new concepts are introduced.”
According to ABS, the objective of this project is to develop the next-generation feeder design with a focus on operational efficiency and flexibility. This new feeder container carrier design is expected to meet future market and trade needs that are being driven by the increase in ultra-large container carriers and the growth of specific regional markets.
“ At this crucial moment when China is transforming from shipbuilding nation to a shipbuilding power, the collaboration that we have strengthened with ABS in container carriers positions us to generate new concepts based on market demand and to launch cutting-edge products, ” says Hu.
“I believe the development of this new generation of feeder container carriers will further strengthen the partnership between SDARI and ABS, promoting the transformation and upgrading of Chinese shipbuilding industry.”