The World's Largest Container Ships

The World's Top Three Largest Container Ships

While shipping lines are looking for cost-saving options for the transport of shipping containers, the freighters leaving the shipyards keep getting bigger and bigger. Every few months, the title “biggest container ship” gets awarded anew. But the current crop of ultra-large container vessels can only just navigate the Suez - only a handful of the world's ports are equipped to handle them, none of which are in America.

 

No1 - Madrid Maersk

The Madrid Maersk has entered into service as part of Maersk Lines’ Asia – Europe service network.

Click here to see a news article on the bbc about the largest container ship.

 

No 2 - MOL Triumph

Triumph is deployed at the Alliance’s Asia to Europe trade via the FE2 service.

Launched March 15, 2017, length overall 400m with 58.8m beam and a maximum 20170 TEU capacity*

 

No 3 - MSC Oscar

MSC Oscar was recognised as the largest container ship in the world; until then CSCL Globe, inaugurated in November 2014, had been the largest.

Launched 8 January, 2015, length overall 395.4m with 59m beam and a maximum 19224 TEU capacity*

 

Triple-E's = Efficiency, Economy of scale and Environment

Although the 2nd generation Triple-E’s are built to nearly the same dimensions as the first, at 399 meters long, the new Triple-E’s are made to be 7% more efficient, with the ability to carry 2,000 more containers than their predecessors.

Efficiency

The Triple-E is designed and optimised for lower speeds. The unique hull design, energy-efficient engine and system that uses exhaust gas to produce extra energy to help propel the ship, make the Triple-E unmatched in energy efficiency.

Economy of scale

The Triple-E breaks the world record in container ship capacity without requiring more engine power. This design takes economy of scale to a new level.

Environment

These vessels reduce CO2 emissions by 35% per container moved, compared to industry average on the Asia-Europe trade.

Maersk group named their class of ULCV vessel ‘Tripple E’ but as this new ’super size’ class of container ships get launched into the sea freight environment, the ripples will impact on every container shipped.

*TEU = Twenty-foot equivalent unit

The twenty-foot equivalent unit (often TEU or teu) is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals. It is based on the volume of a 20-foot-long (6.1 m) intermodal container, a standard-sized metal box which can be easily transferred between different modes of transportation, such as ships, trains and trucks.



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