Pacifica Shipping will launch a new coastal container service next month.
The new Spirit Of Independence will carry almost 300 containers more than the ship it replaces.
The new ship will use the main port in Auckland instead of the Port of Onehunga.
The chartered ship will provide scheduled weekly calls to Auckland, Lyttelton, Nelson and New Plymouth ports, looping around North Cape to begin each southbound leg.
Pacifica Shipping says it is now strategically placed to ensure coastal shipping can play a key role in meeting projected freight growth over the next one to two decades.
