​Milestones - 2017

December

Following the success of the Day One products introduced in April 2017, OOCL was pleased to announce the forthcoming launch of the second phase of the OCEAN Alliance products in April 2018, an improved suite of products providing industry-leading services to customers.
 
OOCL announced the launch of our new China Pakistan Express 2 (CPX2) and China Pakistan Express 3 (CPX3) products to enhance our Intra-Asia network.  The first sailings for both services started on December 12 from Shanghai, where the CPX2 offers competitive and direct services from Xiamen to Karachi as well as Karachi to Shanghai, while the CPX3 provided additional sailing frequency from Central China to Mundra.  Together with our China Pakistan Express (CPX) product, we are able to offer a very comprehensive network with 3 sailings per week from Asia to Pakistan.  

November

On November 21, OOCL introduced the OOCL Scandinavia, the fifth 21,413 TEU newbuilding of the six on order at the Samsung Heavy Industry shipyard, into our fleet of world trade ambassadors.  We were very honored to have Mr. Yue Yi, Vice Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive of the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Ltd, join us as our Guest of Honor and to witness the christening of the vessel.

OOCL was awarded with the “Certificate of Excellence” and the “Special Recognition for Creative Sustainability Idea” at the inaugural Hong Kong Sustainability Award 2016/17 ceremony organized by the Hong Kong Management Association on November 16.  OOCL stood out as the only one out of seven organizations receiving two awards which aimed at benchmarking organizations’ sustainability practices in economic, social and environmental aspects while achieving good business and organizational performance.

On November 16, OOCL took home two trophies, namely the” Customer Service Award” and the “Liner Trade Award: Australia-South East Asia” at the 22nd Australian Shipping and Maritime Industry Awards hosted by the Daily Cargo News (formerly Lloyd’s List Australia).  Receiving these awards is a testament of our continuous innovation for industry leading products as well as our dedication and success in serving our customers.

October

OOCL took top honors at the Singapore Environmental Achievement Awards (SEAA) ceremony held at the Singapore Environmental Council’s (SEC) Conference Day event on October 13.  Presented with the “Outstanding Singapore Environmental Achievement Award’, this recognition honors one top performer amongst all the SEAA categories demonstrating commitment to environmental excellence and protection of the natural environment.  OOCL was also a winner in the SEAA Maritime sector category which recognizes a maritime company that has strong management policies in place and also focuses on industry leading initiatives and continuous innovation in its sustainability work.
  

September

On September 27, OOCL commemorated the christening of its fourth 21,413 TEU newbuilding in the line of six built by the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard.  The OOCL United Kingdom was named by our Sponsor, Mrs. Tamiko Onaka, wife of Mr. Koichi Onaka, Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, who was our Guest of Honor at the ceremonial event.

OOIL became a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world with more than 9,500 participating companies in over 160 countries.   Being the first Hong Kong-based enterprise in the international and logistics industry to participate in this initiative, OOIL is committed to supporting the Ten Principles of the UNGC that sets out fundamental responsibilities in areas such as human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.

On September 1, OOCL commemorated the christening of OOCL Japan at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard on Geoje Island and also announced that her sister vessel, the OOCL Hong Kong, was officially confirmed to receive the Guinness World Records title as the world’s largest containership by carry capacity at 21,413 TEU.
 
August

OOCL announced its achievement in not only meeting the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Scopes 1 and 2 inventory verification requirements that was announced last year, but also for Scope 3 by focusing on indirect emissions associated to air travel by employees of its Hong Kong office as defined in the “Greenhouse Gas Protocol – A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard”.

On August 22, OOCL celebrated the christening of OOCL Germany, the second 21,413-TEU newbuilding built at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard on Geoje Island. The vessel was named by Mrs. Akiyo Moue, wife of Mr. Nozomi Moue, Managing Executive Officer of Shinsei Bank.

Orient Overseas (International) Limited and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) announced a profit attributable to equity holders of US$53.6 million for the six-month period ended June 30, 2017, compared with loss of US$56.7 million for the same period in 2016 in its interim results announcement.

July

On July 17, the 13,208 TEU containership OOCL Berlin became the largest containership ever to call at the Port of New York and New Jersey following the newly elevated Bayonne Bridge from 151 feet to 215 feet, allowing larger vessels such as the OOCL Berlin to transit underneath.  This event also marks the beginning for international carriers to deploy larger vessels of up to 18,000 TEU size containerships to the Port of New York and New Jersey as cargo demand grows.
 
On July 9, COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd. (COSCO Shipping), Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd (SIPG), and Orient Overseas (International) Ltd. (OOIL) jointly announced that COSCO shipping and SIPG have made a pre-conditional voluntary general offer to all shareholders of OOIL to acquire all issued OOIL shares at an offer price of HK$78.67 for each OOIL share.

June

On June 22, the OOCL Hong Kong made history by being the largest container ship in the world to serve the European market through her maiden call at the Port of Felixstowe in the United Kingdom.

OOCL received a Level A rating in the BICEPS (Boosting Initiatives for Collaborative Emissions-reduction with the Power of Shippers) assessment for our sustainability efforts. The BICEPS rating system (from Levels A to F, where A is the highest possible rating) was launched in 2015 to boost initiatives and create momentum for the implementation of sustainability solutions in the shipping sector and helping shippers choose more sustainable ocean freight carriers.

May

Two new products, the Indonesia Thailand Straits Service (ITS) and Vietnam Johor Straits service (VJS) were introduced to our Intra-Asia service network to enhance our product portfolio in meeting the requirements of customers trading in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. The ITS commenced service on May 3 while the VJS became effective on June 11.

OOCL enhanced our services in the United Kingdom by offering direct calls to the Port of Felixstowe, a strategic gateway where we can leverage the comprehensive transportation network and connections through rail and trucks to offer customers best-in-class products and services in the region. 

On May 24, the 13,208 TEU OOCL France became the largest containership to transit the expanded Panama Canal during her northbound passage from the Pacific Ocean, serving OOCL’s weekly East Coast Express 1 (ECX1) service.
 
OOCL announced the naming of our latest containership, the OOCL Hong Kong, at a christening ceremony held at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard on Geoje Island, South Korea on May 12.  With a carrying capacity of 21,413 TEU, the OOCL Hong Kong was celebrated as one of the largest containerships in the world and the first vessel to cross the 21,000 TEU mark.  We were very honored to have Mrs. Mylene Seah as the Vessel Sponsor and her husband, Mr. Peter Seah, Chairman of DBS Bank, as our Guest of Honor.

April

OOCL announced the introduction of a new service to our Intra-Europe Network, the North Europe – Turkey service (NET). The new service commenced from Felixstowe on April 8, providing a fixed day, weekly direct service covering all the key markets with competitive transit times between North Europe and Istanbul, Izmit and Izmir.


March

Effective 1 April, OOCL expanded service coverage to markets in the Red Sea by introducing the Asia-Red Sea 1 (RS1) and Asia-Red Sea 2 (RS2) products that includes port calls to various strategic locations in the region, such as Jeddah, Aqaba, Sokhna, Port Sudan, and Djibouti.

February

OOCL announced the combining of its AAA1 and AAA2 service loops in its Southeast Asia- Australia service into one upsized product called the New AAA to provide a more comprehensive service network in the market served by six post Panamax containerships.  The upgraded service commenced from Laem Chabang in April.

January

On 22 January, OOCL Taipei became the first vessel to utilize shore power at the Da Chan Bay terminal in Shenzhen, China, as soon as the Alternate Maritime Power (AMP) facility there became available.  By switching to shore power when at berth, OOCL was proud to lead the way in helping improve the air quality at the Da Chan Bay port community. 

OOCL was bestowed the Social Capital Builder Logo Award 2016 organized by the Community Investment and Inclusion Fund of the Labor and Welfare Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government on 6 January.  Since 2012, this biennial award recognizes organizations that contribute to building strong network and relationships among the people who live and work in Hong Kong, and OOCL was recognized for our proactive role in this aspect of our corporate social responsibility initiative.