A video released by OSS Daily News reports on the arrival of the CMA CGM Kerguelen at the Port of Southampton during its maiden voyage.
PTI previously reported that the Port of Southampton has become mega-ship ready after is underwent a US$63 million dredging project.
In the video, the narrator tells of how the ship is the largest British registered containership on the high seas, showing comparison with other modes of transport to put its overall size into perspective.
The Captain articulates where the ship will be stopping after its Southampton call, including Zebrugge, through to Khorfakken Container Terminal via the Suez Canal and then onto Asia.
Although more than 17,000 TEU in capacity, the Kerguelen is still smaller than the world’s largest ship, which is currently held by both the MSC Oscar and the MSC Oliver at 19,224 TEU.
Containerships have increased by around 1200% in size since their inception in 1968, and are causing ports in the US to upgrade their infrastructure, as well as putting a strain on European ports to ramp up their equipment and structures.
This is fuelling further debate as to who will be paying for the upgrade in the appropriate crane technologies and how sustainable some port environments are in terms of yard and berth capacity.
See below for the video (0:00-03:10):
(Source: OSS Daily News (YouTube))