Working Conditions Aboard the Cosco-France

In a significant boost to its fleet, COSCO has recently taken delivery of the sensational 13,386-TEU container ship, the COSCO France. This remarkable vessel is the second of eight identical ships contracted from the Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering Company (NACKS), a strategic collaboration between COSCO and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, following the successful delivery of the COSCO Belgium in March. The COSCO France, featuring a twin-isle design with 20 rows, has been constructed at a remarkable cost of USD 167 million. Although originally slated for an earlier launch, its delivery was postponed due to the impacts of the global economic downturn. The remaining vessels of this class are set to be rolled out over the next 18 months, with completion expected by September 2014. Each ship in the series will be named after a various European nations. Shortly, the COSCO France will integrate into the CKYH alliance's NE3 service, connecting the Far East to Northern Europe. It replaces the COSCO Beijing, a 9,469 TEU vessel that will transition to Hong Kong's OOCL for its Far East-Middle East Gulf service, as part of a strategic vessel exchange with COSCO.