[310317.EN.BIZ] MOL Now Has World's Biggest Box Ship - The 20,170-TEU MOL Triumph

JUST when experts say containerships are as big as they will get, Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines takes delivery of the 20,170-TEU MOL Triumph, the world's biggest box ship for now.

"The MOL Group is honoured to unveil the largest containership in the world," said MOL president Junichiro Ikeda, adding that the company will take delivery of another 20,000-TEUer in May.

"The vessel is equipped with technologies to provide more efficient fuel consumption," he said.

The MOL Triumph was delivered from Samsung Heavy Industries, MOL's newest vessel, the first of a fleet of six 20,000 TEU ships for the company.

At 400 metres long and 58.8 metre wide, MOL Triumph the ship is also the biggest in THE Alliance fleet, and bound for Asia-Europe service in the FE2 loop.

The MOL Triumph will sail on her maiden voyage from Xingang in April and rotate through Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Yantian and Singapore.

She will then transit through the Suez Canal to Tangier, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Le Havre. She will then call at Tangier and Jebel Ali on the way back, said MOL.

The hull is coated with low friction underwater paint, high efficiency propeller and rudder, Savor Stator as a stream fin on the hull body, and an optimised fine hull form which together can further reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per container moved by about 25-30 per cent when compared to 14,000 TEU-class containerships.

MOL will take the delivery of the second 20,000 TEU-class vessel in May. Eventually there will be six of the 20,000- TEU ship to be phased on the existing trade routes of MOL.

Source : HKSG.