Hapag-Lloyd Expands Fleet Capacity with Jumboization Project

German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has earmarked another series of vessels for jumboization, continuing its strategy of expanding container capacity.

According to Alphaliner, seven ships, each built around a decade ago, are being sent to China for modifications that will increase their capacity from 9,324 TEU to approximately 10,200 TEU. The COSCO Zhoushan Shipyard has been selected to carry out the upgrades.

This follows a similar modernization project undertaken by Hapag-Lloyd two years ago at a Danish shipyard, where another seven vessels were upgraded from 8,004 TEU to 9,210 TEU.

Key Modifications to Increase Capacity

To accommodate more cargo, the vessels will undergo several structural enhancements:

• Higher lashing bridges will allow for two additional tiers of containers to be stacked on deck.
• Deck houses will be raised by approximately 5 meters, enabling increased deck load capacity in forward bays.
• Funnels will be extended to ensure exhaust gases are released above the newly raised container stacks.

This latest expansion reinforces Hapag-Lloyd’s ongoing commitment to optimizing its fleet and increasing efficiency within its container operations.