20,568 TEU Maersk Madrid makes maiden port call

Written by Nick Blenkey
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Madrid Maersk at the Port of Tianjin

MAY 2, 2017 — The newest holder of the title “world’s largest containership,” the 20,568 TEU Madrid Maersk, made its maiden port call April 27 at the Port of Tianjin in China. This was the first port on its maiden voyage. Maersk Line has deployed Madrid Maersk in its Asia – Europe service network.

Though Maersk Line notes that the 20,568 TEU figure is the ship’s nominal container capacity, it means that the Madrid Maersk edges the MOL Triumph (20,170 TEU) out of the top spot,

Built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineerin (DSME), Madrid Maersk is the first in a series of eleven second generation Triple-E vessels. It is also the first of the 27 vessels Maersk Line ordered in 2015 to enter service. Maersk Line will take delivery of the vessels until end of 2018 and they will replace older and less efficient tonnage.

Maersk Line’s remaining order book consists of ten (10) 2nd generation Triple-E vessels, nine (9) 15,226 TEU and seven (7) 3,596 TEU container vessels. The order book corresponds to 11% of Maersk Line’s current fleet.

To stay competitive and achieve lowest cost, Maersk Line says it will continue to manage fleet capacity tightly. For example, Maersk Line has a relatively high number of vessels on short term charters. This gives Maersk Line the flexibility to adjust fleet capacity when new vessels come on-stream. Maersk Line is also recycling old and more inefficient vessels. In the first quarter of 2017, Maersk Line recycled seven Panamax vessels.

04 2017 new builds infographic sheet 4

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