Hong Kong Express (ship)
Hong Kong Express is a fully cellular container ship owned and operated by the German shipping company Hapag Lloyd Container Linie and one of the largest vessels in the company's fleet. The vessel is Hamburg Express Class type and is one of the largest container ships in the world.
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Hong Kong Express |
| Owner: | Hapag Lloyd |
| Operator: | Hapag Lloyd Container Linie |
| Port of registry: |
 Hamburg  Germany |
| Route: | Far East – Europe |
| Builder: | Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd Ulsan, South Korea |
| Yard number: | 2244 |
| Launched: | 21 December 2012 |
| Completed: | 2013 |
| Identification: |
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| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Hamburg Express-class container ship |
| Tonnage: | GT 142295, NT 60481, DWT 127,170 |
| Length: | 366.50 m (1,202.4 ft) |
| Beam: | 48.20 m (158.1 ft) |
| Draft: | 15.50 m (50.9 ft) |
| Installed power: | 68,840 kW (92,320 hp) |
| Propulsion: | MAN B&W 12K 98ME-C7 |
| Speed: | 24.6 knots (45.6 km/h; 28.3 mph) |
| Capacity: | 13092 TEU |
Hull and engine
The ultra large container ship Hong Kong Express was built in March 2013 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in their shipyard in Ulsan South Korea under yard number 2244. The vessel, which is operated by German shipping company Hapag Lloyd Container Linie, is one of the most modern container carriers in the world, implementing the latest developments of shipbuilding and marine engineering. Hong Kong Express has capacity for 13,092 TEU and 800 reefer plugs for carrying of refrigerated containers. The ship has overall length of 366.50 m (1,202.4 ft), beam of 48.20 m (158.1 ft) and maximum draft of 15.50 m (50.9 ft). Her deadweight is 127,170 DWT, gross tonnage is 142,295 GT and net tonnage is 60,481 NT. The improved capacity of the container ship, without increasing the dimensions, make the vessel more effective and profitable for the operator.
The engineering of container ship Hong Kong Express is also high quality and really environmental. The main engine is MAN B&W 12K 98ME-C7, which has total output of 68,840 kW (92,320 hp). The engine turns a single screw or one propeller which is tunnel thruster design with rudder-fin. The electronically controlled fuel injection and more effective propulsion system succeed to achieve 10% lower fuel consumption and 15% less CO2 emissions. Moreover, the marine engineers did not compromised with speed and dynamic characteristics, as Hong Kong Express has service speed of 24.6 kts, while the maximum speed exceeds 25.5 kts.
Accidents
On September 29, 2015 the container ship Hong Kong Express collided with general cargo ship BBS Sky in North Sea on 10 nautical miles off Netherlands. The accident happened during overtaking, when both ships were running in same direction. There were slight scratches at the ship's hull, but Hong Kong Express resumed her voyage from Rotterdam to Hamburg.