Atlantic Container Line (ACL) has held a formal christening ceremony for one of its fourth generation container/ro-ro (con-ro) vessel, Atlantic Star, at the port of Baltimore’s Dundalk Marine Terminal.
ACL took delivery of the Atlantic Star, which is registered in the UK, in 2015, as HLPFI reported here.
The vessel entered into service in December 2015 and together with its identical sister ships - Atlantic Sail, Atlantic Sea, Atlantic Sky and Atlantic Sun - operates on the shipping line’s transatlantic route.
According to ACL, the new generation of vessels, which have a capacity of 3,800 teu, with 28,900 sq m of ro-ro space and the ability to carry over 1,300 vehicles, have doubled its capacity on the route.
Built at Shanghai's Hudong‐Zhonghua Shipyard, the ro-ro ramps on the ships are wider and shallower, while the ro-ro decks are higher - measuring up to 7.4 m - with fewer columns, which ACL says enables easier loading and discharge of oversized cargo.
HLPFI readers will recall, the Atlantic Sea was officially christened by HRH Princess Anne at the UK's port of Liverpool in October 2016 and was reportedly the first royal christening on the Mersey since 1960. In October 2018, there will be a formal christening ceremony of Atlantic Sun in New York, while the remaining two vessels will be christened formally in Europe in 2019.
www.aclcargo.com
