Containership Newbuilding for Hapag-Lloyd - Friede Springer names Berlin Express

At Altenwerder Container Terminal one of the biggest container ships in the world was named Berlin Express. The naming patron was the publisher, Friede Springer.

More than 250 guests from business and politics today took part in a superlative naming ceremony: the leading players were a terminal with ‘state of the art’ technology, one of the most modern container ships in the world, and not least, thanks to a remarkable naming patron, Friede Springer. The majority shareholder of the Axel Springer Publishing House today named the latest newbuilding of the Hapag-Lloyd fleet under the name of "Berlin Express" at Altenwerder Container Terminal. At Hapag-Lloyd it is tradition to give the vessels names of cities, both national and international.

"Berlin is once again the city in Germany. Axel Springer was absolutely convinced that the two parts of Germany would one day be reunited, and devoted all his energies to it. Therefore, we are very pleased, and just a little proud, to have received the acceptance from Frau Springer," stated Michael Behrendt, Executive Board Chairman of Hapag-Lloyd AG, explaining the choice of naming patron.

The newbuilding concludes the series of four vessels ordered in 2000. They are 320 metres long, 43 metres wide, have a slot capacity of 7,500 standard containers, and a deadweight tonnage of 100,000 tons. The maximum speed is 25 Knots. Like her sister ships, "Hamburg Express", "Shanghai Express" and "Hong Kong Express", the newbuilding will sail in the Europe – Far East Service.

Günther Casjens, Member of Hapag-Lloyd AG Executive Board, stressed that Hapag-Lloyd Container Line has grown rapidly in recent years. "Within some good ten years we have trebled our transport volume. In 1996 our container volume amounted to 900,000 TEU, handled by our 3,300 staff. Today we ship more than double the number of containers with the same headcount," Casjens added. The basis for this is formed by the worldwide unified, integrated IT systems, which relieve the staff from routine work and created the opportunity for such a great development in productivity.

In his speech to the guests at the naming ceremony, Michael Behrendt called on the business world not only to complain about the negative basic conditions in Germany, but to remember much more the assets – committed staff, sufficient capital and know-how. "We must overcome the impression of German helplessness. A pioneering spirit is again needed in this country. This we also owe to the future generations, exactly this", he stressed.