DP World London Gateway has welcomed one of the world’s largest container ships carrying a record 18,601-teu. The UASC-owned Al Muraykh called at DP World London Gateway to unload 3,800 containers.
Al Muraykh, a new generation of ultra-large container ships, is one of the largest in the world measuring 400 metres in length.
The containers are loaded 11 storeys high above deck and 23 containers across the ship. With thousands more stowed below deck, the ship can carry up to 18,800 containers.
The ship left Malaysia’s Port Klang carrying more shipping containers than any vessel on record and arrived at DP World London Gateway Port as its first port of call in Europe.
Many of the goods being unloaded will be on the high streets of the UK in the coming days for the January sales.
The vessel’s ability to transport large volumes of containers to the UK means the average CO2 output per container is 60% less than any other ship, making the transportation of goods more sustainable.
DP World London Gateway Hub is located closer to key population centres reducing time and costs in UK supply chains.
“We are extremely proud to have achieved a world record breaking load on board Al Muraykh, the greenest vessel in the world and one of the largest in operation today,” said Waleed Al Dawood, chief operating officer at UASC. “Moreover, this voyage marks a very important milestone in our newbuilding and environmental sustainability program with this being the highest utilization of our 18,800-teu eco-efficient class to date.”