With a nominal slot capacity of 9,600TEU and 2,100 reefer plugs apiece, the Cap San Nicholas and Cap San Marco have taken their place as the largest container vessels ever launched by German-headquartered carrier Hamburg Sud, with the highest reefer carrying capacity of any container ship afloat today. Built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries yard in Ulsan, South Korea, the two new ships were launched in late May as part of a series of six newbuildings in the Cap San class. The Cap San Nicholas will go into service this month on liner operations between Asia and the East Coast of South America, with the Cap San Marco entering the same service in July. Two more of the six new ships are due to be delivered this year, with the final two scheduled for handover in 2014.
