COSCO Shipping Gemini Joins World’s 20,000 TEU Club

A colossal containership with a deck equaling the size of four football fields was named and delivered to COSCO Shipping Lines on April 10.

The Hong Kong-flagged 20,000 TEU containership, named COSCO Shipping Gemini, was built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC).

“The ship will provide greater stimulus for COSCO Shipping Lines to further optimize its global liner route planning and improve its international container shipping service,” the shipping company said commenting on the delivery.

With an LOA of 400 meters, a molded beam of 58.6 meters, a maximum draft of 16 meters, a design speed of 22.5 knots/hour, maximum deadweight of 202,000 tons and maximum load of 20,119 TEU, the vessel is fitted with 1,000 reefer plugs. It was classed by both DNV-GL and CCS.

It is the fourth 20,000 TEU ship to be delivered to the company this year, joining COSCO Shipping Aries, Taurus and most recently COSCO Shipping Leo.

COSCO Shipping Leo was named on March 22, 2018 at Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co. (NACKS), and headed for sea trials early in April. It was scheduled to start operating on April 10 on the Far East-Northwest Europe loop (AEU3).

The port rotation of AEU3 is Piraeus (Greece), Rotterdam (the Netherlands), Hamburg (Germany) and Antwerp (Belgium).

Leo is a sister ship of the previously delivered COSCO Shipping Aries and it is the second 20,000 TEU ULCV built by NACKS for COSCO Shipping Lines. Its construction period was one month shorter than that of its sister ship, setting a new record for ULCV building period made by NACKS.