Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) announced that it took delivery of the world’s largest containership, MOL Triumph, from Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. on March 27, 2017.
MOL’s newest vessel, the first of a fleet of six 20,000 TEU-class containerships for the company, was named MOL Triumph in a ceremony at Samsung in South Korea on March 15, 2017. At 400 metres in length and 58.8 metres in width, MOL Triumph is currently the world’s largest containership. With a capacity of 20,170 TEU, the vessel is the first 20,000 TEU-class containership deployed in THE Alliance’s Asia to Europe trade via the FE2 service.
MOL Triumph set off on her maiden voyage from Xingang in April 2017 en route to Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantian and Singapore, continuing on through the Suez Canal on her way to Tangier, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Le Havre, calling at Tangier and Jebel Ali on her way back to Asia.
Junichiro Ikeda, President and CEO of MOL said, “The MOL Group is honored to unveil this new vessel, which is the largest containership in the world. The vessel is equipped with various new sustainable technologies to provide more efficient fuel consumption and improved environmental performance.”
In line with MOL’s eco-sailing initiative, the new 20,000 TEU-class containerships are equipped with various advanced energy-saving technologies including low friction underwater paint, high efficiency propeller and rudder, Savor Stator as a stream fin on the hull body, and an optimized 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. Additionally, the vessel has also been designed with the option to convert to LNG fuel when new IMO regulations limiting SOx emissions in marine fuels go into effect in 2020.
MOL will take the delivery of the second 20,000 TEU-class vessel in May 2017. Eventually MOL will take delivery of six of the 20,000 TEU-class containerships which will be phased in gradually on existing trade routes.