Did you know that there are more than 50,000 active merchant ships in the world? If this figure revealed by the International Chamber of Shipping surprises you, then you must know that the shipping industry is in fact responsible for most of the world trade.
Container ships aka containers are cargo ships that utilize huge intermodal containers for transportation of goods. The idea of container ships was introduced in the 1950s by an American businessman named Malcolm McLean. Since then, these vessels have continuously grown bigger. Today, the biggest containers rival oil tankers & bulk carriers in size and capacity, says Premier Ship Models, a company reputed for its Container Ship Model.
Here are the 5 largest container ships in the world as per capacity measured in twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU).
OOCL Hong Kong
Orient Overseas Container Line produced this engineering marvel in 2017 and it became the first ship in history to offer a capacity of more than 21,000 TEU. The Samsung Heavy Industries, Geoje shipyard has constructed this ship and its exact carrying capacity is 21,413 TEU. The ship is 399.87 meters long, 58.8 meters wide and 32.5 meters deep, making it the largest container ever. It operates in the trade routes between Northern Europe and East Asia.
COSCO Shipping Universe
At the second spot is this giant from China with a capacity of 21,237 TEU. This ship was built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) in 2018 and later transferred to China Ocean Shipping Company Limited (COSCO). Shipping Universe with its ABB Turbochargers can go as fast as 22 nautical miles per hour. It is chief among the vessels operating on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
CMA CGM Antoine De Saint Exupery
Antoine De Saint Exupery takes its name from a famous French aviator and author. The Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction, Philippines built this environment-friendly cargo ship in 2017. The ship’s capacity is 20,954 TEU and its operating route is French Asia Line 1 (FAL-1), the longest sea route between Asia and Northern Europe.
Madrid Maersk
Madrid Maersk was the first Second Generation Triple E-class container produced by Maersk. When it was introduced, it became the second container ever to cross the 20,000 TEU mark. This ship has a deadweight Tonnage of 192,672MT and a capacity of 20,568 TEU. It is currently owned by Maersk, the Danish container shipping giant, while the A.P.Moller-Maersk Group is in charge of operating it. This beautiful ship is among the most popular choices for making cargo ship models.
Ever Golden
This cargo ship has an astonishing Deadweight tonnage of 218,000 MT. Constructed by the Imabari Shipbuilding, Saijo shipyard in 2018, it boasts a 12 meters effective draught. However, this ship lags behind its competitors in the speed department at only a maximum of 11.4 nautical miles per hour.
Containers carry 90 percent of the world’s non-bulk cargo which makes them one of the most important freight transportation mediums in the world. If you wish to buy a cargo ship model of one of these famous container ships, make sure you get it from a reputed scale modeling company.
