AMMAN (JT) - Maersk has recently signed a contract with Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. to build 10 of the world's largest vessels, with an option for an additional 20 vessels.
According to a Maersk statement that was made available to The Jordan Times Wednesday, the delivery of the new container vessels, worth of $190 million, is scheduled between 2013 and 2015.
Called the 'Triple-E' class, which stand for Economy of scale, Energy efficient and Environmentally improved, the global shipping company said these new container vessels will surpass the current industry records for fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions per container moved held by the Emma Mærsk class vessels.
With 400 metres long, 59 metres wide and 73 metres high, the Triple-E is the largest vessel of any type on the water today, according to Maersk as its 18,000 TEU (twenty-foot container) capacity is 16 per cent greater (2,500 containers) than today's largest container vessel, Emma Mærsk.
The Triple-E will produce 20 per cent less CO2 per container compared to Emma Mærsk and 50 per cent less than the industry average on the Asia-Europe trade lane. In addition, it will consume approximately 35 per cent less fuel per container than the 13,100 TEU vessels being delivered to other container shipping lines in the next few years, also for Asia-Europe service, said the statement.
"One of the biggest challenges we face in the world today is how to meet the growing needs of a growing population and the impact that is going to have on our planet," Eivind Kolding, CEO of Maersk Line said.
"International trade will continue to play a key role in the development of the global economy: But, for the health of the planet, we must continue to reduce our CO2 emissions", she added.
"It is not only a top priority for us, but also for our customers, who depend on us in their supply chain, and also for a growing number of consumers who base their purchasing decisions on this type of information," Kolding remarked.
According to the company, the design uses optimised hull and bow forms and two ultra long stroke engines to turn two propellers. An advanced waste heat recovery system will capture and reuse energy from the engine's exhaust gas for extra propulsion with less fuel consumption.
All materials used will be mapped in a cradle-to-cradle passport that prescribes how they can be recycled or safely disposed of when the vessel is retired from service.
Maersk has over 20,000 employees in 325 offices across 125 countries and a fleet of over 500 vessels along with 1.9 million containers.
© Jordan Times 2011
