Top 10 Biggest Container Ships in The World

The international shipment industry plays a big role in the global trade of goods accounting for as much as 90% of the total. According to the International Chamber of Shipping, there are more than 50,000 cargo ships that operate in the sea at this time.

Container ships are cargo ships that carry loads on a large scale measuring between 20 or 40 feet. Container ships can be classified into several categories according to the capacity that they can carry.

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As of now, there are currently 7 kinds of container ships that are utilized Small Feeder, Feeder, Feedermax, Panamax, Post Panamax, New Panamax, and Ultra Large Container Vessel(ULCV).

In 1956, the businessman Malcolm Mclean has established the modern container shipyard for the first time ever. Ever since then, the race for building the most efficient container ships has never stopped. Here is the list of the top 10 biggest container ships in the world.

10. MOL Triumph

MOL Triumph was built in 2017 by Samsung Heavy Industries at Geoje-si, South Korea and it was built for the Japanese shipyard operators, Mitsui O.S.K Lines. Its main engine MAN B & W G95ME can provide a maximum power of 82,440 kW. This is enough power to make the ship move at a speed of 22 knots.

The ship can carry a load of 20,170 containers with a maximum weight of 192,672 tonnes. Not just that but the ship is also equipped with advanced energy-saving technologies that include underwater low-friction coatings, efficient steering wheels, and fans that have been improved to reduce water friction as well as save on fuel usage.

9. MOL Truth

The ship which is currently sailing under the Panama flag is handled by Ocean Network Express(ONE) from Japan. The ship was produced by Imabari Shipbuilding Company Limited in Saijo and it is 400 meters long and 58.5 meters wide.

With a maximum weight of 189,766 tonnes, this ship can carry as many as 20,182 containers. It is currently operational on the Silk Route connecting Asia and Europe. MOL Truth has several technologies similar to MOL Triumph but it also has the efficiency of reducing carbon release by 30%.

8. Ever Golden

This is also another gigantic cargo ship that carries a maximum load of 218,000 tonnes. The ship measures 400 meters long and 58.8 meters wide which is more than four times the size of a football field combined.

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It was built in 2018 by Imabari Shipbuilding similar to MOL Truth for the Taiwanese company, EVERGREEN. This ship however does not have any specialty when it comes to speed as it has a maximum speed of 11.4 nautical miles per hour.

7. Madrid Maersk

This will be the first ship that was built among the 11-second generation Maersk container ship from the Triple E. class. It was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering and can carry a load of 20,568 containers.

Even though the ship was officially set to be able to carry 19,630 containers only, Maersk Line managed to do some modifications to make the ship able to occupy more than 20,000 containers.

The ship measures 399 meters in length and 58.8 meters wide and has a maximum capacity of 192,672 tonnes.

6. CMA CGM Antoine De Saint Exupery

The ship was given the name in conjunction with a French author and pilot, Antoine De Saint Exupery. It was built by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction in the Philippines. This ship can carry 20,954 containers and it is the biggest container ship that France owns.

The ship measures 400 meters long and 59 meters wide and is capable of supporting a maximum load of 202,684 tonnes. This ship was launched in 2017 and started to operate in February 2018 for the French Asia Line 1(FAL-1) which is the longest route connecting Asia and Northern Europe.

Not just that but the ship is also very environmentally friendly by utilizing the new-generation engine that can reduce the usage of fuel by 25%. It is also equipped with a filter system and UV light to treat the ballast water to protect the diverse biological life.

5. COSCO Shipping Universe

This is the biggest container ship owned by Mainland China and it can carry up to 21,237 containers. The ship is 400 meters in length and 58.6 meters wide. It was built back in 2018 by China State Shipbuilding Corporation(CSSC) which was later renamed COSCO.

To maintain its optimum performance and fuel efficiency, the ship is equipped with Turbochargers ABB that helps the ship to achieve a maximum speed of 22 nautical miles per hour.

The ship can hold a maximum weight of 199,000 tonnes.

4. OOCL Hong Kong

Sitting in third place on this list will be the OOCL Hong Kong ship which reigns champion as the biggest container ship in the world and is also an engineering miracle. This ship is the first to ever surpass the 21,000 container limit load.

It was built by Samsung Heavy Industries at Geoje and the ship can carry a load of 21,413 containers. The ship measures 399,87 meters long and 58.8 meters wide with a depth of 32.5 meters.

The ship started to operate in Mei 2017 at the East Asia-Northern Europe trading route under the Hong Kong flag. According to OOCL, this gigantic ship was made due to ASEA Free Trade Area(AFTA) agreement between China and Hong Kong.

3. MSC Gülsün

The next in line for the biggest container ship in the world is now held by MSC Gülsün which was just recently made. The ship can carry 23,756 TEU units(container of 20 feet) at one time.

The ship measures 400 meters in length and 61.5 meters wide. It is equipped with a sophisticated supply system and smoke filtration system that releases a thin mist from the smoke of fuel combustion.

2. MSC Tessa

Another Chinese shipping company is responsible for this container ship and this time it will be Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding delivering the giant 24,116 TEU container ship, MSC Tessa.

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Despite being only behind MSC Irina by a few hundred TEU, its size is the same which is 399.9 meters in length. Is the second biggest container ship in the world with effective fuel consumption and reduced greenhouse emissions.

1. MSC Irina

The one standing at the top of the list will be MSC Irina launched by China Shipbuilding Co., LTD(CSSC) with a full capacity of 24,436 TEU units. This ship is 399.9 meters in length almost equivalent to four football fields.

This giant ship is also equipped with some of the most sophisticated technology such as the latest air lubricant which allows the ship to operate at a much more fuel efficiency by 4% compared to the previous generation of cargo.

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