Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) took delivery of one of the world’s largest container ships, capable of carrying 24 000 TEUs.
Built by China Shipbuilding Trading Corporation on Monday, the handover took place in Shanghai, one month ahead of schedule.
Designed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group (HZS) and built by Jiangnan Shipyard and CSTC, MSC China is the 13th and latest 24 000 TEU ultra-large container ship from China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).
According to Gu Lijun, director engineer at HZS, the world's largest container ship series consists of four ships, and the China is the last one being delivered.
With a total length of 399.99 meters, the vessel has a moulded width and depth of 61.5- and 33.2 meters respectively, with a deck as large as approximately four standard football fields.
The maximum number of stacked boxes will reach the equivalent height of a 22-storey building.
The vessel can carry more than 240 000 tonnes of cargo.
The ship was classified by Det Norske Veritas, the world's leading classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry assessing safety, quality, energy efficiency and environmental performance of the global shipping industry across all vessel types and offshore structures.
It is equipped with several new systems to help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Its air lubrication system is designed to reduce the total energy consumption of the ship while reducing its carbon emissions by 3 to 4 percent.
As China's shipbuilding capacity continues to grow and demand increases in the world's shipping market, a number of 24 000 TEU containerships have been delivered in China this year.
On October 1, the MSC Micol was delivered to Seaspan and MSC and put into operation.
China has had the largest market share in the world for 13 consecutive years. In the first half of 2023, Chinese ship completions reached 21.13 million deadweight tons, up 14.2 percent year-on-year. – SOURCE: China Global Television Network
