MSC names 24,000 TEU giant in Türkiye

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world’s biggest shipping company, has named MSC Türkiye, one of the world’s largest and most fuel-efficient containerships by design to date.

The naming ceremony was held on October 30, the day following the Republic Day which marked the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

On the occasion, the newest Calestino Maresca-class 24,000 TEU vessel made its maiden call at Asyaport, Türkiye’s largest transit container port. 

“With our investments in sea, land, rail, storage, and port facilities for the Turkish Republic, we, as the MSC Türkiye family, have accomplished numerous ‘firsts’ in the 28 years of our journey. Today, we bear witness to yet another milestone. We wish MSC Türkiye, the world’s largest container ship, fair winds and following seas, and we continue to serve and grow, contributing to a brighter future,” Hasan Piroğlu, MSC Türkiye CEO, commented.

The 400-meter-long, 61-meter-wide vessel stands out with its lowest carbon footprint per container carried and a significant reduction in terms of CO₂ emissions per transport work, according to the company.

The 241,000 dwt containership was built at Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu shipyard in China. It was delivered to MSC in August this year, data provided by VesselsValue shows.

The boxship incorporates a number of innovative environmentally friendly features such as an air lubrication system and a hybrid scrubber system, among others.

MSC has taken delivery of several 24,000 TEU boxships so far this year, including MSC Tessa, MSC Raya, MSC Irina, MSC Celestino Maresca, MSC Micol. Switzerland-based container shipping giant has the largest orderbook by far in the industry with over 134 containerships on order. The company has 14 megamax ships and 22 neo-panamax ships on order scheduled for delivery this year, according to Alphaliner.