MSC’s eco-friendly containership sets new world record at Port of LA

Last week, the Port of Los Angeles, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, APM Terminals Los Angeles and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) workers successfully moved 18,465 containers from the MSC Isabella during a single ship call at APM Terminals’ Pier 400.

This new all-time world record — equal to 34,263 TEUs — is 1,385 containers more than the previously held record.

One of the largest ships in the world, the MSC Isabella is part of a new class of 23,000+ TEUs sustainable containerships recently added to the MSC global shipping network. MSC Isabella’s arrival in Los Angeles marks its first time calling at a North American container port.

“This achievement continues to show that the Port of Los Angeles is big-ship steady and can adeptly handle these increasingly bigger cargo lifts,” Gene Seroka, Executive Director at the Port of Los Angeles, commented.

The large-class vessel arrived at APMT on June 12 and departed on June 19. During the ship’s call, the ILWU operated nine ship-to-shore cranes to execute the record-setting feat.

The Port of Los Angeles remains open with all terminals operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $276 billion in trade during 2019.

Approximately 400 meters long and 61 meters wide, the MSC Isabella can carry up to 23,656 TEUs.

Named after the eldest daughter of MSC USA President & CEO Fabio Santucci, it belongs to the series of the most energy-efficient ships in MSC’s fleet of container vessels, with the lowest carbon footprint per container carried by design.

A combination of the latest green technologies and greater economies of scale have helped reduce energy requirements over time. For example, the optimised shape of the ship’s bulbous bow and rudder bulb lower resistance while sailing, further enhancing energy efficiency.

MSC Isabella is fitted with an IMO-approved hybrid exhaust gas cleaning system and has the option of switching to low-sulphur fuel or to be adapted for liquefied natural gas (LNG) use in the future.

Built at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard in South Korea, MSC Isabella was delivered to the Swiss container shipping major in August 2019. In November that year, the newbuilding made its maiden call at the Port of Singapore as the biggest containership to call at this important transshipment hub.