China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) has taken delivery of the CSCL East China Sea, seventh of eight 10,036-TEU vessels ordered in China in October 2011 for US$94.3 million each.

The order for the eight vessels was split between Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) and Dalian Shipbuilding Heavy Industries. An option to build four additional units was not exercised by CSCL and lapsed in April 2012, according to Alphaliner.

The Hudong-built CSCL East China Sea is to join the Far East-North Europe 'AEX 1/AEC 1' service offered by CSCL and UASC. The vessel is the first ship in this series assigned to the FE-Europe route.

The first six ships in the series were all assigned at delivery to the CSCL's America-Asia container service (AAC) to upsize this service from the 8,500 TEU to the 10,000 TEU scale.

The last unit in this series, CSCL South China Sea is due in November.