The Monaco-based Scorpio group is said to have ordered three 19,200TEU[ds_preview] carriers at the South Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries. The agreement has not yet been officially confirmed. Initially, media reports had assumed the vessels would have even 20,000 TEU capacity. The number and size of the freighters could still be changed in further negotiations, the reports say.
The container ships are supposedly due for delivery in 2016 and will then be the largest vessels in the worldwide fleet. It is reported that they are destined for operation with MSC. The shipping line is the second largest market player and has come close to Maersk in terms of tonnage. A charter period of 15 years is envisaged. For Scorpio the order would result in a major entry into a new market. So far Scorpio is mainly active in the tanker and bulk segment.
