Maersk Line orders 10 Malaccamax ships from DSME

Maersk Line has signed a contract with Korea 'Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. to build 10 of the world's largest and most efficient vessels, with an option for an additional 20 vessels. Scheduled for delivery between 2013 and 2015, they will entirely change the shipping industry, understanding of size and efficiency.

Called the 'Triple-E' class for the three main purposes behind their creation - Economy of scale, Energy efficiency and Environmentally improved - these new container vessels do not just set a new benchmark for size; they will surpass the current industry records for fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions per container moved held by the Emma Maersk class vessels.

Four-hundred meters long, 59 meters wide and 73 meters high, the Triple-E is the largest vessel of any type on the water today. Its 18,000 TEU capacity is 16 percent greater (2,500 containers) than today? largest container vessel, the Emma Maersk. The new Triple-E vessel is big enough to fit an ice hockey rink, an American football field and a basketball court.

The Triple-E will produce 20 percent less CO2 per container moved compared to the Emma Maersk and 50 percent less than the industry average on the Asia-Europe trade lane. In addition, it will consume approximately 35 percent less fuel per container than the 13,100 TEU vessels being delivered to other container shipping lines in the next few years, also for Asia-Europe service.

?ne of the biggest challenges we face in the world today is how to meet the growing needs of a growing population and the impact that is going to have on our planet. International trade will continue to play a key role in the development of the global economy, but, for the health of the planet, we must continue to reduce our CO2 emissions.

It is not only a top priority for us, but also for our customers, who depend on us in their supply chain, and also for a growing number of consumers who base their purchasing decisions on this type of information,?said Eivind Kolding, CEO of Maersk Line. <Korea Shipping Gazette>