19 May 2011
MEDIA RELEASE

LPC Welcomes Namesake NYK Lyttelton

A ship with a very familiar name is arriving at Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) on Monday, 23 May 2011 on its maiden voyage to the port.

NYK chartered the vessel just after February’s earthquake and it required renaming as its previous name was unsuitable.

When NYK Line’s NZ staff were asked for suggestions for the vessel’s name, Christchurch’s damage and destruction caused by earthquakes was receiving global media attention. The port, township and the city of Christchurch were prominent in the minds of many. The suggestion of NYK Lyttelton really struck a chord with NYK Line and felt it was appropriate to rename the vessel in recognition of Lyttelton, as it has always been a regular port in NYK Line’s weekly service.

NYK felt that choosing to rename the vessel NYK Lyttelton, was a way of giving recognition to the efforts of the management and staff of Lyttelton Port Company who had ensured the port returned to operation in swift time after two significant natural disasters. NYK also acknowledged the value and security brought to the local community by the efforts of the LPC Staff in swiftly resuming shipping services that had been somewhat understated but hadn't gone unnoticed.

LPC Chief Executive Peter Davie says the arrival of the vessel has a special significance for the port .

“For NYK to acknowledge Lyttelton in this way is a huge positive show of support for the port and the community in challenging times.”

The container ship NYK Lyttelton is part of the North-Asian consortium service providing a weekly connection to importers and exports of the Canterbury region. The vessel will depart Lyttelton on Tuesday, 24 May for Napier, as part of its normal service.

This is the only NYK vessel named after a port. And, apart from one sailing ship and local tugs, it is just the sixth commercial ship named after Lyttelton. There have been two Port Lytteltons (1916 and 1947), The Union Lyttelton (1977), the P&O Nedlloyd Lyttelton (1998) and the TPC Lyttelton (2010).

About NYK Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha is one of the world's leading transportation companies. At the end of March 2011, the NYK Group was operating 827 major ocean vessels, as well as fleets of planes, trains, and trucks. The company's shipping fleet includes 143 containerships, 344 bulk carriers, 57 woodchip carriers, 118 car carriers, 86 tankers, 29 LNG carriers, three cruise ships, and 47 other ships. NYK's revenue in fiscal 2010 was about $22 billion, and as a group NYK employs about 54,000 people worldwide. NYK is based in Tokyo and has regional headquarters in London, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, and Sao Paulo.

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