Maersk holds naming ceremony for first Triple E ship

   The first of Maersk’s new “Triple-E” ships was officially named this morning in a ceremony at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard in Okpo, South Korea.
   The world’s largest containership bears the name of the late Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, who passed away in April 2012 at the age of 98.
   His youngest daughter, Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla, had the honor of naming the ship during the ceremony, which is the first in a series of 20 being built for the company and will enter service between Asia and North Europe.
   Maersk said the Triple-Es are so named because they will set new standards for energy efficiency and environmental performance.
   The ships have the possibility of carrying 18,270 TEUs, but the company told American Shipper in an email that “this is contingent upon a number of factors – such as new equipment in ports – being in place. As such the current actual capacity is a little under 18,000 TEUs.”
   With unique design features for slower speeds and maximum efficiency, Maersk said the ship will emit 50 percent less CO₂ per container moved than the current average on the Asia-Europe route.
   Guests at the ceremony included Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller’s other two daughters, Leise Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller and Kirsten Mærsk Mc-Kinney Olufsen, the Danish ambassador to Korea Peter Lysholt Hansen, members of the vessel crew, as well representatives from Maersk Line, Maersk Maritime Technology and the DSME shipyard.
   The Triple-E is 400 meters long, 59 meters wide and 30.3 meters in depth.
   Last month Hyundai Heavy Industries said it had won an order to build five 18,400-TEU containerships from China Shipping Container Lines.
   It has been reported the CSCL ships will be 400 meters long, 58.6 metres wide and 30.5 meters in depth.
   Maersk said on some parameters like nominal intake the CSCL vessels appear larger than the Triple-Es. On the parameters impacting vessel capabilities (deadweight) the Triple-Es are, however, larger and it considers these vessels the largestl.
   The longest ship ever built was the ultra-large crude tanker Seawise Giant. – Chris Dupin