MSC TESSA, the world's largest container vessel, was delivered to its buyer on March 9.
It is the first one of the ultra-large container vessel series specially built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. and China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd., both subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), for Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A.
A view of MSC TESSA, the world's largest container vessel jointly built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. and China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. for Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The vessel was independently designed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. that owns the vessel's proprietary intellectual property rights. It has been registered in the Det Norske Veritas (DNV).
The 399.99-meter-long and 61.5-meter-wide vessel has a deck area equaling four standard football pitches, and is available for a maximum number of 25 stacking tiers, equivalent to a 22-story building.
It can carry more than 240,000 metric tons of cargo and 24,116 standard containers.
The vessel is equipped with the hybrid Scrubber desulfurization facility and other special devices, allowing it to consume less energy and release less carbon than other vessels of its kind.
As the first of its kind to adopt the shaft belt drive generator system, which lowers fuel consumption, it optimizes the ship energy efficiency design index (EEDI) and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. also focused on improving design of the upper part of the vessel and the radar mast considering its buyer's operating route, and improved the vessel's container capacity.
The container ship fleet of Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. currently tops fleets of its kind in terms of capacity. The company has ordered four such ultra-large container vessels from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd; the second has completed trial navigation and the other two are scheduled to be delivered by this August.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
