Germanischer Lloyd in Asia: A Strong and Growing Presence

Dear delegates,

The strong competitiveness of Asia’s shipyards and the significant impact of Asian shipowners on world trade have prompted Germanischer Lloyd to make a major commitment to the region over the years. This commitment continues to increase.

Germanischer Lloyd has been active Asia since our foundation in 1867, and today the society focuses on providing a high level of service to our clients throughout the region. This coverage comprises not only customers in Korea, Japan and China, but also those in Singapore, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand, to name a few.

Market leader in container ships

In the high-growth segment of container ships - a ship type critical to the rapid expansion of the Asian shipping industry – Germanischer Lloyd is well placed as the market leader. One-third of all existing container ships are classed with GL, while about one-half of all container ships on order are being built to GL class. For the new generation of large ships with a container capacity of over 7,000 TEU, of which more than 100 have already been ordered worldwide, the GL share is more than 70 per cent. The society is also well prepared for the new and future ships with capacities of 9,200 to 12,000 TEU. GL is in an ideal position to offer shipowners and yards support with their container ship projects, as a result of its unparalleled expertise and experience with this ship type.

As examples of this involvement, Germanischer Lloyd is classing a 9,200 TEU jumbo vessel which, upon delivery in August 2005, will be the largest container ship in the world. The society’s strength in the Japanese container ship market has been highlighted with the recent delivery of P&O Nedlloyd Mondriaan, the largest container vessel ever built in Japan.

Bearing in mind China’s ambitious plan to become the number one shipbuilding nation in the world by 2015, GL is also focusing on building up strong partnerships with our Chinese customers. Such an approach also anticipates the fact that shipping lines from all over the world will order more vessels at Chinese shipyards in future due to the considerable price advantages.

Port state control highlights quality approach

In terms of minimising ship downtime, Germanischer Lloyd’s commitment to high quality standards has proven to be the right approach. In the most recently published ship inspection statistics published by the various regional Port State Control (PSC) authorities, Germanischer Lloyd has achieved the best results of all classification societies. GL-classed ships are shown to have the lowest percentage of class-related detentions in both the Tokyo MOU and Paris MOU results. These figures are a clear confirmation that the uncompromising commitment that we make to safety and quality, in cooperation with our customers, yields dividends in terms of increased levels of protection for people and the environment and improved commercial efficiency.

Benefits of class

The benefits of ship classification can be summarised in terms of improved levels of protection for life, property and the environment. As a result of the technical expertise they possess, classification societies contribute to the efficient design, construction and operation of a ship and, thus, to its economic success. Furthermore, the knowledge and experience of class provides the basis for innovations in the design and operation of ships, and for improvements in safety onboard.

In summary: We know, for your profitability there can be no room for breaks or shortcuts!

Our main operating philosophy, which underlies our commitment to safety and quality, also acknowledges that the profitability of a vessel is the major driving force of the shipping business. Germanischer Lloyd believes that safety, quality and profitability are mutually compatible and that each of these goals enhances the other two. Thus, we offer a wide range of technical facilities and intelligent services which make a major contribution to the operational safety and profitability of ships. All our services are geared to ensuring that your ships are in “perfect shape”, reliable and efficient, at all times, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This operating philosophy is succinctly reflected in our slogan “Operating 24/7”.

I wish you an inspirational and productive meeting!

Rainer Schöndube
Member of the Executive Board
Germanischer Lloyd

Press Contact:
Germanischer Lloyd, Press and Information
Tel. +49 (0)40 36149-4509, Fax +49 (0)40 36149-250, pr@gl-group.com
Your personal contacts are Dr. Olaf Mager and Ms. Stefanie Normann.