Classification society DNV and Atlas Corp.’s (“Atlas”) shipping arm, Seaspan Corporation (“Seaspan”), the world’s largest independent containership owner and operator, have set up a Joint Atlas-Seaspan and DNV Collaboration Space (“JCS”) in Shanghai, bringing the two parties’ multifaceted partnership to new heights.

The grand opening ceremony of the JCS was witnessed by Bing Chen, President, and CEO of Atlas; Kun Li, Senior Vice President of Seaspan; and Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV Maritime, who was joined by Norbert Kray, DNV Regional Manager for Greater China.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Bing Chen, Atlas President, and CEO said: “Seaspan has been in close co-operation with DNV over the past 20 years, focusing on both our quality vessel operations and our innovative newbuild programs. The establishment of a JCS in Shanghai marks a significant milestone in the partnership between the two entities. The JCS shall serve as an interactive platform for expertise across the two entities to exchange experiences and insights. On behalf of our management, commercial, and operations teams, we look forward to the strengthening of our collaboration and joint expansion into new areas including onshore and offshore renewable energies, decarbonization, and digitalization, which Atlas has been strategically focusing on.”

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, DNV Maritime CEO, said: “DNV and Seaspan share the same values on safety, quality, innovation, sustainability, and collaboration. The JCS in Shanghai is a new and exciting dimension of our strategic partnership, ensuring easy access to expertise in decarbonization and digitalization, and deeper cooperation between our leadership teams in Asia. I very much look forward to the many fresh impulses to shipping’s green transition this new collaboration space will bring.”

DNV and Seaspan’s collaboration spans more than two decades. DNV has been an instrumental partner in Seaspan’s rapid container fleet development which now comprises 201 vessels including newbuilds, ranging from 2,500 TEU to 24,000 TEU, with the majority of ships classed by DNV.

The JCS shall continue to support ongoing and future newbuild programs of Seaspan in Asia, and further facilitate new areas of cooperation beyond the maritime industry, such as renewable energy and R&D.

Norbert Kray, DNV Maritime Regional Manager for Greater China, said: “It’s our great honor to host this collaboration space in our Shanghai headquarters. Seaspan has ordered 70 ships since 2020, of which 60 will be built in Chinese shipyards, the majority under DNV class. I believe the JCS will play an instrumental role in delivering these projects safely, to time and to the highest quality. What is more, we in DNV will provide our far-reaching expertise across the business areas Maritime, Energy Systems and Digital Solutions to support Atlas Corp. and Seaspan in their digitalization and decarbonization journeys.”

About DNV Maritime

DNV is the world’s leading classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry. We enhance the safety, quality, energy efficiency, and environmental performance of the global shipping industry – across all vessel types and offshore structures.

We invest heavily in research and development to find solutions, together with the industry, that addresses strategic, operational, or regulatory challenges.

About DNV

DNV is an independent expert in risk management and assurance, operating in more than 100 countries. Through its broad experience and deep expertise DNV advances safety and sustainable performance, sets industry benchmarks, and inspires and invents solutions. Whether assessing a new ship design, optimizing the performance of a wind farm, analyzing sensor data from a gas pipeline or certifying a food company’s supply chain, DNV enables its customers and their stakeholders to make critical decisions with confidence. Driven by its purpose, to safeguard life, property, and the environment, DNV helps tackle the challenges and global transformations facing its customers and the world today and is a trusted voice for many of the world’s most successful and forward-thinking companies.

About Seaspan

Seaspan is a leading independent owner and operator of containerships. We charter our vessels primarily pursuant to long-term, fixed-rate time charters to the world’s largest container shipping liners. Seaspan’s operational fleet consists of 132 vessels with a total capacity of 1,132,400 TEU. We also have 69 vessels under construction, increasing total capacity to 1,959,200 TEU, on a fully delivered basis.

About Atlas

Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on deploying capital to create sustainable shareholder value. Atlas brings together an experienced asset management team with deep operational and capital allocation experience. We target long-term, risk-adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector, and other infrastructure verticals. Our two portfolio companies, Seaspan Corporation, and APR Energy Ltd. are unique, industry-leading operating platforms in the global maritime and energy spaces, respectively.