Swiss-based global container shipping company MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company announced that MSC Gülsün, the world’s largest container ship, has arrived in Europe after completing its landmark maiden voyage from the north of China.
MSC Gülsün is the first of a new class of 23,000+ TEU vessels to be added in 2019-2020 to the global shipping network of MSC, a world leader in transportation and logistics.
According to a press release from the world's second-largest shipping line in terms of container vessel capacity, built at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Geoje shipyard in South Korea, MSC Gülsün sets a new standard in container shipping, in particular in terms of environmental performance.
At some 400 meters long and more than 60 meters wide, MSC Gülsün has a record-size capacity for a container ship: 23,756 TEU. Bigger ships generally emit less CO2 per container carried, helping companies which move goods on MSC’s services between Asia and Europe to lower the carbon footprint of their supply chains.
As a family-owned group with a strong maritime heritage, MSC is confirming its commitment to investing in the world’s largest and busiest trade lanes with the arrival of MSC Gülsün and the 10 other ships in the pipeline in this class.
The vessel is equipped with more than 2,000 refrigerated containers, boosting the trade of food, drink, pharmaceutical and other chilled and frozen items between Asia and Europe.
This new class has been designed with a wide range of environmental, efficiency, stability and safety matters in mind, it said.
MSC Gülsün features a remarkable approach to energy efficiency with the shape of the bow designed to enhance energy efficiency by reducing hull resistance. State-of-the-art engineering minimizes wind resistance, resulting in lower fuel consumption.