The 187,541gt/19,100 TEU capacity CSCL Globe (above) was delivered in November 2014 to become the world’s largest. Her sistership CSCL Pacific Ocean was delivered in early January to China Shipping Container Line (CSCL). This is the second vessel of a total of five with the same proportions. Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) placed an order for them in May 2013, each valued at $136.59 million.

The ships were initially ordered with a capacity of 18,400 TEU. Now their length is 400 metres, their width 58.60 metres and they can carry 23 rows of containers aboard. An electronically-operated slow speed MANB& W S90ME-C9.2 12 cylinder model engine is installed in each vessel with a down rated 56,800 kW output to provide optimum performance. The CSCL Pacific Ocean will operate on Asia-North Europe services together with her sister as part of the Ocean Three collaboration (CMA CGM, CSCL and UASC). The CSCL Globe’s maiden voyage began in the Chinese city of Qingdao on 3rd December 2014 and was due to end in Ningbo, China, on 25th February. Felixstowe was her first European stop on 7th January with calls also made at Rotterdam, Hamburg and Zeebrugge. The 18270 TEU capacity Triple-E beating CSCL Globe/Pacific Ocean were themselves eclipsed by the 19,224 TEU capacity MSC Oscar just 53 days after the CSCL Globe’s maiden voyage began.

The 192,237gt MSC Oscar, owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company and built by Daewoo in South Korea, is scheduled to commence her first full voyage, from Asia to Europe, on 25th January. The ship is named after the son of the MSC President, Diego Aponte. The 395.4 metre long and 59 metre wide ship joined the Albatross service and is owned by China’s Bank of Communications and on long-term charter to MSC. For now at least the CSCL Globe does retain one world record in terms of the sheer physical size of her MAN Diesel engine. The two-stroke engine, built in South Korea, is 17.2m high, 5.2m wide and 22.5m long.

During December CMA CGM Group took delivery of the 95793gt CMA CGM Litani from Chinese shipyard New Times Shipbuildings based in Jiangsu Province. The 10,622 TEU capacity ship is the third in a series of 28 vessels of 9,400 TEU to 10,900 TEU capacity which will be delivered up until the third quarter of 2016. The first of these sisterships, the CMA CGM Danube, was delivered in June 2014 with each 300m long and 48m wide ship taking the name of a famous river around the world. These ships are also equipped with new bulbous bow shapes improving the hydrodynamics of the vessel at a speed of 16 to18 knots. In addition, the ships integrate an electronically controlled long stroke engine with an exhaust gas bypass system offering the best in fuel consumption, a twisted leading edge rudder with bulb and a ballast water treatment system.