Malta Freeport Terminals proudly welcomed yesterday ‘Emma Maersk’, a container ship of Maersk Line, the largest shipping line in the world, and Malta Freeport Terminals’ second largest client.
‘Emma Maersk’ berthed on arrival at Terminal Two North Quay loading around 2,000 TEUs. Before calling at the Freeport ‘Emma Maersk’ called at the ports of Bremenhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp and Felixstowe. The containership will now continue its journey by calling at the ports of Singapore, Busan, Dalian, Xingang, Qindgao, Shanghai, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Rotterdam, Bremenhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp and back to Felixstowe
When launched in 2006, ‘Emma Maersk’ set new standards in the global shipping industry becoming the largest container ship ever built having a capacity of 14,770 TEU and the longest ship having a length of 397 metres. Other key specifications of ‘Emma Maersk’ and her seven sister ships in the E-class series include a width of 56 metres and a deadweight of 156,907 tonnes.
However, operating within an evolving shipping market, in 2011, Maersk Line ordered Triple-E class containerships breaking its own world record. With a length of four hundred metres, a width of 59 metres, a height of 73 metres, a deadweight of 165,000 tonnes and a top speed of 23 knots the Triple-E class is the largest vessel of any type on the water to date.
Its 18,000 TEU capacity is 16 % greater (around 2,500 additional containers) than the carrier’s largest container vessels like Emma Maersk from the Maersk E-class type. Indeed, such vessels have also set new standards in the container industry, not just for size, but also for energy efficiency and environmental performance. With unique design features for slower speeds and maximum efficiency, vessels in this series emit 50% less CO2 per container moved than the current average on the Asia-Europe route.
Maersk Line ordered a total of twenty Triple-E vessels which are being phased in gradually on the existing route between Asia and Northern Europe and the first of these Triple E Class ships was delivered in mid- 2013.
In line with such developments, to continue providing the highest level of service to the global shipping carriers and be able to efficiently handle at its facilities containerships of this magnitude, the Freeport has last year extended Terminal Two North Quay by an additional 33 metres to a total length of 513 metres with a water depth of 17 metres. The largest vessels handled to-date by Malta Freeport have a carrying capacity of 16,000 TEUs. However with the series of investments being undertaken at its Container Terminals, Malta Freeport Terminals is now fully geared up to handle at its facilities any containership afloat thus enabling Malta Freeport to be on the forefront of its business whilst ably securing the Port’s future for years to come.
Thomas Smith Group, a market leader in container liner shipping services in Malta, is the exclusive local shipping agent of Maersk Line. Following their successful appointment to represent the world’s largest container shipping company Maersk Line in Malta, clients are benefiting from extensive opportunities available at their shore including more access to specific routes, expert advice and unmatched coverage, Maersk Line boasts a fleet of over 600 vessels and a number of containers corresponding to more than 3.8 million TEU.
The carriers is renowned internationally not only for being the most secure, but also now the largest and the most environmentally friendly as evident in the Triple-E class vessels launched recently by the line. With approximately 325 representative offices located in more than 130 countries, global access for cargo is unlimited.