When you order, say, a pack of crisps from the UK, and we’d forgive you for doing so, chances are it came to China, along with literally millions of others just like it, on a container ship. Recent developments imply a lot more crisps are coming your way…
On 10 February, the MSC Irina that is the world’s biggest container ship took to sea, or more specifically, river, out of Taicang in Suzhou for an 8-day trial voyage.
The Irina is 399.99 metres long, 61.3 metres in beam and capable of carrying 24,346 TEUs (20-Foot Equivalent Unit) containers. In some parts of the ship, containers can be stacked as many as 25 deep, FleetMon reports. The vessel has been built by Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
How does the MSC Irina qualify as the world’s largest container ship?
By Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT). The Irina is in fact half of a pair of ships, together with the MSC Loreto, each with a DWT of 240,000.
To use the correct terminology, while the two “ultra-large container ships” are in fact the same length as others in their class, it is the specific arrangement of the deck which provides for their record-breaking container capacity.
Prior to this trial of actual performance, the Irina and Loreto were first floated out on 29 October, with work having begun on both the ships on 29 November, 2021.
These two vessels are just the start. Ultimately, the Irina and Loreto shall form part of a group of six such ultra-large container ships that are the biggest ever built.
That’s all down to an aggressive expansion by Switerland-based-owner, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), that early last year overtook Maersk as the world’s largest container line.
But thankfully, the enormous group of ships shall also be a relatively environmentally-friendly one. As well as numerous features which help in increasing operational efficiency and decreasing emissions, the ships’ hulls also employ and ingenious, air-lubrication system. By creating a layer of bubbles between the hull and the actual ocean, friction and hydrodynamic resistance are reduced.
As of 11 February, no final date had been reported for delivery of the Irina.
