Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has handed over a 24,116 TEU ultra-large containership to China’s Bank of Communications Financial Leasing to join MSC’s fleet.
The MSC CELESTINO MARESCA is the second of its kind and the fifth 24,000 TEU-class ship to be delivered in the past nine months.
The delivery takes place as part of a four-vessel deal with MSC, worth around $600 million.
The MSC CELESTINO MARESCA measures 399.99 metres long and presents a width of 61.5 metres, providing a deck area equivalent to four standard football fields.
The vessel can transport over 240,000 tonnes of cargo and load 24,116 TEU. Its high-efficiency propellers and energy-saving devices can reportedly reduce fuel consumption and emissions by approximately 3 to 4 per cent.
The Chinese shipbuilder utilised advanced automated systems, such as a comprehensive bridge, and state-of-the-art fire extinguishing technology in the design of the MSC CELESTINO MARESCA.
The vessel will start operating on 30 March and follow the Lion route, sailing from China to Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, and Morocco before returning to Singapore and China.
This is the second 233,000 deadweight tonnage vessel that the Chinese shipbuilder has delivered to MSC this month, with larger ships – such as the MSC IRINA and MSC LORETO with a transport capacity of 24,346 TEU – joining MSC’s fleet in the future.
The new ship is one of 14 such vessels that MSC has under construction. The carrier will operate nearly half of the 89 large mainline container ships set to be added to the fleets of the world’s top 11 ocean carriers in 2023, according to Alphaliner.
Most recently, MSC and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) announced the signing of a five-year Impact Partnership agreement.
The partners aim to help the maritime industry eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by shaping standards for future fuels, financing innovative projects, and piloting low-carbon solutions.
