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Mary Maersk sets new record: 17.603 TEU containers, but few ports can receive her

Wednesday, August 27th 2014 - 07:20 UTC
Full article 16 comments
The third vessel in the Triple-E series, Mary Maersk has a nominal capacity of 18,270 TEU, but so far that capacity has not been fully utilized. The third vessel in the Triple-E series, Mary Maersk has a nominal capacity of 18,270 TEU, but so far that capacity has not been fully utilized.

A record has been set with a Triple-E vessel carrying the highest ever number of containers between Europe and Asia. Mary Maersk left Algeciras, Spain, on its eastward journey bound for Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia with no less than 17,603 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), the highest number ever loaded on a vessel.

 The third vessel in the Triple-E series, Mary Maersk has a nominal capacity of 18,270 TEU, but so far that capacity has not been fully utilized.

Carlos Arias, head of the South Europe Liner Operations Cluster, said: “Algeciras has been preparing for full utilization of the Triple-E for more than a year. This included the upgrading of four existing cranes and the arrival of four new Triple-E cranes.”

He added that the port of Tanjung Pelepas has had to make similar upgrades, and this was the first occasion where both ends were ready, according to Marine Link.

Having a full vessel means less cost due to higher utilization, allowing the company to save on bunker and canal cost. A little more than half of the containers on board were empty, being repositioned for re-use in Asia.

Thorvald Hansen, captain on the Mary Maersk, outlined the sorts of cargo being shipped. He said: “We have Danish cheese, frozen pork from Denmark, frozen beef from Germany, frozen berries, chocolate and candy foodstuff, frozen fish, lobster and frozen shellfish, flower bulbs from the Netherlands, pharmaceutical products, fruits and much more.”

Mary Maersk is now underway to its next stop, Yantian, China, with a somewhat lighter load, but by the end of the month it will be steaming west again, with another full load of cargo.

Categories: Economy, International.

Top Comments

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  • alsy

    This article made me think of the boasts of Titanic's makers before her fateful maiden voyage.... and if it's tipped over in a storm it could be a record number of containers dropped off a single vessel, too!

    Aug 27th, 2014 - 10:57 am 0
  • Klingon

    @1 Reminds me of “Too big to fail”
    This also means less frequency to export items on time.

    Aug 27th, 2014 - 11:45 am 0
  • ChrisR

    @ 2 Klingon

    This ship will never come to TDC, your docks are incapable of handling the containers even Algeciras has had to upgraded four existing cranes and deploy four new Triple-E cranes.

    These ships are impressive wherever you view them but right alongside the docked ship is the best.

    Of course, the only time they will be fully loaded is when they bring the Chinese crap back to the west.

    Aug 27th, 2014 - 12:50 pm 0
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