Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) have broken the record for the world’s biggest container ship after the 23,000 TEU MSC Gulsun was delivered on July 8, 2019.
In a statement, SHI says the vessel is the first of a six-strong fleet of 23,000 TEU vessels ordered by MSC in September 2017.
At 400m in length, its total capacity is 23,756 TEU at any one time, making it the largest containership ever, beating the record set by the OOCL Hong Kong, also built by SHI, which was the first ever to cross the 21,000 TEU threshold.
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A spokesman from SHI said the company is ready to lead the burgeoning mega-ship market. “On the basis of a wide range of test facilities including the world’s largest towing tank and our outstanding researchers, SHI has led the market to increase the size of containerships”.
“We will continuously secure the leading position in the mega containership market by vigorously targeting ultra-large containerships surpassing 20,000 TEU that are expected to be ordered in the second half of this year”.
As well its record-breaking size, the vessel is equipped with SHI’s in-house developed next-generation smart ship system, SVESSEL, which facilitates the safe and cost-effective operation.
Furthermore, in response to the IMO regulations on sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions, it will be fitted with a scrubber and specifically designed as an eco-friendly smart ship with an option to easily convert it to an LNG-powered ship.