CORAL GABLES, FL - Del Monte Fresh Produce is helping to make the high seas green after entering a definitive agreement to build six energy efficient container ships to replace its current U.S. East Coast fleet of vessels. The new ships will service the company’s ocean transportation lanes between Central and South America and U.S. ports, with the first ship delivery expected for late 2019.

“Del Monte was one of the first large-scale banana producers to receive the SCS Carbon Neutral Certification for our banana operations in Costa Rica. These new ships are an extension of our sustainability commitment on the high seas,” said Vice President of Marketing Dennis Christou. “The six state-of-the-art container vessels will not only increase our tonnage capacity and speed to market but will also significantly reduce air pollution and energy consumption. The new energy efficient vessels are designed to meet the most stringent IMO (International Maritime Organization) Emission control regulations coming into effect in 2020.”

192 meters in length with a breadth of 30 meters and a design draft of 9.3 meters, each vessel will have a 634 forty-foot-high cube container capacity. According to a press release, the six vessels were designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute and will be built at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company shipyard.

The six new vessels are expected to expand to all of Del Monte’s ports when they all come into service.

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Del Monte Fresh Produce