The biggest container ship in the world, called MSC Irina, has started its service. It is larger than any other container ship, with a capacity to hold over 24,300 shipping containers. The ship is registered under the flag of Liberia and is the first of six vessels being built by the Chinese shipbuilding group Jiangsu Yangzijiang. One interesting fact is that it emits 3-4% less carbon compared to similar ships, which is good for the environment.
Construction of MSC Irina began in November 2021, and it was assembled and floated in August and October of the following year. In February 2023, the ship underwent sea trials and was then finished at Zhejiang Zhoushan Shipyard. It was delivered in early March.
The ship’s first voyage is a journey across the ocean, starting from Qingdao and going to Busan, then back to China, and finally to Singapore, Italy, and Spain via the Suez Canal. On its return, it will stop at ports in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
MSC Irina has a deadweight of 240,000 DWT and can carry more than 24,300 standard shipping containers, stacking them up to 26 layers deep. It is 399.9 meters (1,312 feet) long and 61.3 meters (201.1 feet) wide. While its size is similar to other ships, its container capacity sets it apart and exceeds the previous record-holder, OOCL Spain, by over 150 containers.
MSC, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the top container liner company globally. It has a large network of offices in many countries and operates over 260 trade routes with its fleet of 730 ships. The company can handle around 4.6 million international shipping containers (TEU), with an annual capacity of 23 million TEU.
