Updated: World's largest ship docks at Freeport
Photo: Anton Gambina
The world’s largest ship, the Marco Polo, docked at the Freeport's Terminal Two North Quay this morning carrying 16,000 containers.
The 396 meters long and 54 meters wide vessel is larger than a US Navy aircraft carrier and is equipped with all the latest environmental technologies.
The container vessel, which is owned by CMA CGM, the world’s third largest shipping line, was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in South Korea and sails under the UK flag.
It is the first of a series of three 16,000 TEU vessels that will all be named after great explorers.
The next two containerships of this magnitude are expected to be delivered in 2013.
The Marco Polo has been deployed on the line’s key weekly service, the ‘French Asia Line’. Before coming to Malta, it called at Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Port Kelang, Tangier, Southampton, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge.
After it leaves Malta it will be calling at Khor Al Fakkan, Jebel Ali and back to Ningbo.
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61 Comments
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James Dewar
Dec 28th 2012, 11:28
Maritime factoids galore!
Anthony White
Dec 28th 2012, 01:44
What the hell has buying from China got to do with the world largest ship the ship is owned by a french company if I got my facts right by tracing the owners of the ship.
How people get so mental about subjects they know nothing about, I cannot understand.
Mr ALBERT LEONE GANADO
Dec 27th 2012, 09:12
Just impressive, a real mastodon of the sea. It was good business foresight to equip our free port to cater for such monsters of the sea. Let us trust that we will use the best technology and container handling skills to be the most efficient port in the Med..
charles v schembri
Dec 27th 2012, 09:10
To those opting for comments with political innuendos and love living in the past, perhaps its is worth noting that in the last days of the MLP govt prior 1987, only some 7000 containers were handled in the MFT.
This MFT success story is the result of the foresight of present administration and the professional acumen of all involved in the maritime sector contributing over 10% of Malta's GDP.
Anthony Farrugia
Dec 27th 2012, 08:38
For some people who post on this site - some of them regularly - the glass is always half empty. They must lead a pretty miserable life and are hell to live with for relatives and neighbours !
Valentina Muscat
Dec 27th 2012, 04:31
Vapur veru affaxxinanti, record miksur, imma trid tara kemm ghandu xoghol ghal malta, gieli dahlu vapuri izghar , u hafna izghar u kellhom hafna iktar xoghol fuqhom.
Gordon Borg
Dec 26th 2012, 19:35
The title is misleading.its not the world's largest ship.its the world"s largest CONTAINER ship.Oil tankers are bigger.
Ric Humphreys
Dec 27th 2012, 00:28
Exactly !!!!!
John Portelli
Dec 27th 2012, 08:27
you're wrong tugboats are bigger.
John Attard
Dec 27th 2012, 08:47
@Portelli. So what's the largest size of tugboat.....for the sake of knowledge pls?
Paolo Bugeja
Dec 26th 2012, 17:49
sad people manage to turn this 'news' into political debate!! Sad and immature!
Mark Vella
Dec 26th 2012, 17:05
kullhadd espert bil google....
A.P. Gambina
Dec 26th 2012, 16:37
The 'Marco Polo', presently at the Malta Freeport, is the largest containership in the world.
The largest ship in the world is the Knock Nevis oil tanker at 458m length.
Followed by E.M.'s E-class container ships at 397m.
And these closely followed by the recent 2012 'Marco Polo', fitting in at 396m and carrying the most containers.
Ric Humphreys
Dec 26th 2012, 18:01
THE kNOCK NEVIS was the largest ULCC in the world before being scrapped in India where she was known as the Mont.
She was also known as the Seawise Giant , and the Happy Giant . also Jahre Viking before becoming The Knock Nevis.
Ric Humphreys
Dec 26th 2012, 15:54
The Largest ship in the world is one of 8 Maersk Containers vessels the E class all have the same size.
They are 397 Metres long (1302ft) and over 56Metres wide (184ft) with a draught of 15.5 Metres ( 51ft) but they only carry 14770 containers.
Problem is there is 5 different size of TEU containers from 20 ft upto 55 ft big ones so depending on size of the containers depends no how many carried
A.P. Gambina
Dec 26th 2012, 16:54
The largest ship in the world is 458m in length.
Jonathan Barnes
Dec 27th 2012, 00:24
TEU refers to "Twenty-foot equivalent unit" so the size is based on "Twenty-foot equivalent units" For instance, if she is 16,000 teu, she can carry 8,000 forty foot containers Maersk are in the process of bringing 20 triple E class vessels into service, commencing in 2013, these will be the largest when they enter service..
Joe Spiteri
Dec 26th 2012, 15:50
Agree 100% !
A.P. Gambina
Dec 26th 2012, 16:52
Size-wise, disagree 100% !!
Carmel Camilleri
Dec 26th 2012, 15:05
Successes all round and some say they want a change. Change from success??????????????
joseph demicoli
Dec 26th 2012, 15:39
qied tifrah b'riex haddiehor ghax dan hu wiehed mill hafna progetti tal PL holoq u li il-partit tieghek l-anqas biss kienu joholmu. allura bl-istess ragunar tieghek il-PL suppost ghadu jiggverna !!!! ghaliex saret il-bidla. Hallina nghixu bil-kwiet u hallina niddecidu ahna bahbuh.
Mario Micallef
Dec 26th 2012, 15:48
sur demicoli ghal ftit bir-ragunar tieghek tal-PL jiftahru bl-ajruport hux ghax skont int intom bnejtuh! u hallina!
GL Calleja
Dec 26th 2012, 14:55
What difference does it make what the container ship looks like? Bringing in 16000 containers is a lot of containers and the Freeport gets paid for every container they load or unload, the rest is like the man said is "Irrelevant". I don't think the Maltese authorities are going to turn this huge ship around because it came from China or because it is ugly looking. It is bringing in Money to Malta
Philip Pryce
Dec 26th 2012, 14:09
We need to look at every product we buy and demand products made elsewhere than China. If manufacturers brought production back to Europe, we wouldnn't be in this mess. Buying Chinese does NOT make them cheaper. I have proved this time and time again. More than 100 big American corporations are bringing production back to USA, including Apple. We should do the same.
stephen mifsud
Dec 26th 2012, 17:59
hear hear you are right Philip ...
Joe Spiteri
Dec 26th 2012, 20:14
Quite right. And buying Chinese only helps this nation and its leaders to invest more in military hard ware.
Tony Zammit
Dec 27th 2012, 08:35
If we do that, we for sure you going to have comments that you went back to Mintof style.
James Tyrrell
Dec 26th 2012, 13:45
What I find disturbing is that there are 26 comments here at the moment regarding the beauty or ugliness of a container ship! If you get a story about a woman being beaten half to death by her partner you are lucky to get one comment as no one seems to give a damn. Who cares what it looks like so long as it does what it was built to do? Happy New Year to everyone in Malta.
Julian Borg
Dec 26th 2012, 14:17
Typical Socialist comment - trying to control thought process now?
stephen mifsud
Dec 26th 2012, 13:26
the reason why we are in this economic crisis ...CHINA!!!
Anthony White
Dec 26th 2012, 14:02
Mr Mifsud The major reaons for the economic crisi are large countries showing off that they control the world by excuses to create wars and conflict to make damage so they can step in to make money on the repairs to the conflict - corruption which affect ALL countries including our own, and ignorance of the populations of these countries. Read the news and the internet my friend & face facts.
George Farrugia
Dec 26th 2012, 14:07
Stephen..please study your economics....my own impression is that the economic crises arouse as a result of greedy bankers who were only interested in enhancing their year end bonuses by making most risky investments with short term benefits but long term risks...
Pule' Carmel
Dec 26th 2012, 11:36
Through my life I designed and built boats out of sheet ply and I developed a system where large flat sheets can be folded in the form of parts of cones and cylinders and it is so easy to make a hull out of such a geomerical procedure. The hull is efficient under water but does not look so good as sharp edges at the joints do occur.They are not exactly beautiful, but so useful and cheap to build
Pule' Carmel
Dec 26th 2012, 11:29
One can have beauty with functionality and efficiency. In fact as they say, if it looks good it is good ,like a bird whose beauty is also aeodynamically efficient, including a sport car!
I think the Emma Maersk also a giagantic container ship is a beauty doing 32 knots on one engine, and continuously crossing the Pasific to suppy the USA with Chinese products. Beautiful ship.
Mr Tony Gatt
Dec 26th 2012, 12:19
This fine for bulk carriers and container ships but unfortunately the concept is being carried out on passenger liners, i.e. ever bigger ships. The Costa Concordia is a warning- if one of these giant liners sinks there could be a huge loss of life.
Ray Miller
Dec 26th 2012, 11:06
Surely the point here is not the beauty or otherwise of the vessel. Should we not think of the prescience of the people who enlarged Malta Freeport in such a way as to be able, today, to take the world's largest container vessel? There are dozens of ports in Europe and the Med which cannot handle this gargantuan ship.
Prosit, CMA-CGM and Malta Freeport.
Anthony Paul Naudi
Dec 27th 2012, 06:15
Prosit Mr. Miller, imma xi Maltin ma huma kuntenti b'xejn ghax flok jifirhu li il-freeport ghamel progress u li qed jospitaw dawn il-vapuri enormi ,jaraw kif imaqdru.
Alexis Callus
Dec 26th 2012, 11:06
Even the greatest a ship cannot pass by without some grief from you sad commentators! And if you could actually read before commenting away ( if you could actually know much about how anything works around here) the ship is set for the Malta Freeport and not Valletta.
V. Cauchi
Dec 26th 2012, 11:06
A very appropriate sight on "Boxing Day" indeed. One of the claimed origins of the festive phrase is that of a box which was kept on ships in which money was collected for distribution to the poor on Christmas day. Worth reliving in this day and age!
Oliver Fsadni
Dec 26th 2012, 10:45
Appreciate that you are looking at a 2D picture taken in light conditions that are far from ideal,
Look here and judge for yourselves.
http://www.cmacgm-marcopolo.com/
Cheers.
ANTHONY PAVIA
Dec 26th 2012, 11:01
Oliver, were the pictures in that site supposed to make us appreciate more this motorised box's aesthetics??? It is an aesthetically crude vessel with one sole purpose, that it must be said, it achieves magnificently.
Mr Henry A. Grima
Dec 26th 2012, 11:44
Thanks Oliver.
What a behemoth; large but beatiful and...... neccessary!
Competition is the name of the game.
Peter Murray
Dec 26th 2012, 10:34
FAO- Fellow Commenators. It would appear that the generosity of Christmas spirit didn't long with you all did it?I am perfectly entilted to offer a comment on what I perceive to be an ugly vessel however,what you all are not entitled to is offer comments off-topic relating to gratuitous and unedifying comments against me personally.I live in hope of true democracy but will probably die hungry
J.C. Borg
Dec 26th 2012, 10:44
They say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder (and so is ugliness).
However, intelligent people, do not take things at face value but at what they are worth.
Peter Murray
Dec 26th 2012, 11:01
JC BORG They also say that beauty is in the eyes of the beer-holder How to define intelligence and/or ugly is also subjective and I make no assumption or pretence that I possess any expert authoritty to speak on such a fact which people should also recognise.My comments (which conform to freedom of expression relating solely to the subject matter) were based as an ex-Seaman. Happy Holidays
Mr Tony Gatt
Dec 26th 2012, 11:42
That's how your cornflakes get to your table, Peter. My pet hate is modern liners which look like nothing more than a block of flats at sea.
David Borg
Dec 26th 2012, 12:16
Mr. Murray, this vessel was built to perform a function:- to transport containers, and not for anybody's idea of aesthetic pleasure. I'm sure you must have heard the term "function over form".
So it really doesn't matter what it looks like.
J.C. Borg
Dec 26th 2012, 15:03
Prosit, David Borg. That is exactly what I meant to say to Peter Murray.
Regarding 'freedom of expression', I think that you are that we might disagree with your 'expressions' and should have the freedom to write our ideas.
Best wishes to all.
A.P. Gambina
Dec 26th 2012, 10:16
It's a motorised monster, which will dwarf part of our Valletta Kinghts'-built bastions. Seeing is believing.
Indeed, our supplier of needs and utilities.
Anthony Farrugia
Dec 26th 2012, 11:30
Well this ship docked at Freeport not Valletta ! At least read the three lines of the news item !
A.P. Gambina
Dec 26th 2012, 12:29
@ Anthony F. I mentioned Valletta bastions for comparison reasons. I could have mentioned the grandeur of our Cottonera bastions instead. Of course, the ship docked at the Freeport. None of our historic bastions have been physically dwarfed, covered or vision tainted. Not only have I not read the three news' item lines, but was actually at Freeport itself from where I took d pic appearing above !!
Joseph Micallef
Dec 26th 2012, 10:14
Strange comment from you Mr. Murray. Such ships are built for functionality not for their appearance!
Peter Murray
Dec 26th 2012, 10:52
What is strange about my comment?As irrespective of what a vessel is built for is it a justifification for it not to possess some from of attractive shape or unrealistic to expect such?Define strange please!
Peter Murray
Dec 26th 2012, 09:57
How ugly is that ?How apt that it should arrive on Boxing Day -as that is what it looks like ...a giant floating box.
James Ellul
Dec 26th 2012, 10:07
it's ugly vessels like this that supply us with our needs and utilities!!!!
Richard Sanders
Dec 26th 2012, 10:13
ugly does not even enter my mind, but I just marvel at something so huge and heavy can float and sail the seas.
Some positive thinking will make life brighter!!
Peter Murray
Dec 26th 2012, 10:18
I worked on such "Supply " vessels for many years sir. supplying a great many people with their "needs and utilities" none of which showed such a marked lack of marine pulchritude.The point I am making -which will be recognised by other "old salts"-is that ships "lines" was once a source of pride to ship-ownwers and those who sailed on them and weren't built on the cheap to resemble ugly Kaxxi
laurent caruana
Dec 26th 2012, 11:36
Stop complaining.....always always complaining
Mr Tony Gatt
Dec 26th 2012, 11:43
In the trade they are known as just that- box boats, because they carry containers.
Franco Farrugia
Dec 26th 2012, 12:26
Mr Murray, why is it that you come out with such negative comments? Who cares whether a ship is beautiful or ugly? It is not a cruise-ship or something like that. It just carries containers - why should it be beautiful? It merely serves its purpose.
stephen mifsud
Dec 26th 2012, 13:37
this the result of the corporate agenda to exploit workres and the low wages paid to them making the products tha are shipped on these ...ie: Walmart ...the elimination of manufacturing in North America which has killed the middle class ....
Please choose the reason of your report below: