MSC’s largest containership completes first voyage from Asia to Europe

The world’s largest container ship, the MSC Gülsün, has completed its landmark maiden voyage from the north of China and has arrived in Europe, MSC announced.

Built by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) at its Geoje shipyard in South Korea, MSC Gülsün is the first of a new class of 23,000+ teu vessels to be added to MSC’s 2019-2020 global shipping network.

The new containership has a record-size capacity of 23,756 teu and measures 400 m long and over 60 m wide and the shipping line has 10 other ships in the pipeline of this class.

MSC Gülsün is equipped with more than 2,000 refrigerated containers with the aim to help boost the trade of food, drink, pharmaceutical and other chilled and frozen items between Asia and Europe.

As bigger ships generally emit less CO₂ per container carried, MSC aims to help companies which move goods on its services between Asia and Europe to lower the carbon footprint of their supply chains.

The shape of the MSC Gülsün’s bow is designed to enhance energy efficiency by reducing hull resistance and minimising wind resistance resulting in lower fuel consumption.

Producing lower CO₂ emissions per unit carried than other forms of freight transportation such as planes, trains, trucks or barges, ocean container shipping is already one of the most environmentally-friendly forms of transportation.