Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has taken delivery of the world’s largest container ship, a 24,346 TEU vessel.
The vessel is the second ultra-large containership – both surpassing the 24,000 TEU capacity – in MSC’s fleet.
Maritime Executive reports that the MSC Irina was delivered to Bank of Communications Financial Leasing (BoCom), the ship’s registered owner, who is chartering the vessel to MSC under a long-term agreement. The handover took place in Zhoushan in China on March 9, the same day another ultra-large vessel, the MSC Tessa was delivered in Shanghai. Both vessels are among the largest capacity containerships, forming part of MSC’s expansion, which will see more than 12 ultra-large vessels added to the fleet.
The first ship is expected to depart from China to begin its journey to northern Europe on Friday, while the second vessel, MSC Irina, has not been placed on the same route, and enters service on 21 March.
MSC Irina departs Qingdao on March 23 for Busan, South Korea, before heading back to several Chinese ports and on to Singapore and the Suez Canal. In the Mediterranean, it calls at ports in Italy and Spain, before proceeding to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Asia.
With a reported capacity of 24,346 TEU, the ship is officially the largest in the world.
The Shanghai-built MSC Tessa was the first ship over 24,000 with a capacity of 24,116 just smaller than the new 24,188 OOCL Spain, built by Nantong COSCO Kawasaki Ship Engineering Co in Nantong, China. The vessels load containers up to 25 stacks.
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, which built the MSC Irina and is busy with the construction of a further five similar sized vessels, has highlighted their unique performance-enhancing design.
The vessels use air lubrication systems on the hull and have large diameter propellers, hybrid scrubbers, energy-saving ducts, and shaft generation systems. They have a split double deckhouse and low wind resistance exterior design, and it is estimated they will reduce carbon emissions by three to four percent.
Chinese officials have reported that the dual delivery of the two containerships is a demonstration of their shipyard’s developing expertise, competing with South Korea and Japan.
