Posted on February 27, 2023
The Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding company, a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has launched the 15,500 TEU Maersk Charleston. The vessel is being built for Hong Kong-based Seaspan Corporation and will be chartered long-term to Maersk upon completion. The vessel’s classification will be done by the DNV classification society.
The container ship is 366m long, 51m wide, and 30.2m high, with a top speed of 22 knots. The vessel’s optimized hull shape and large diameter propeller will help cut fuel consumption and reduce emissions. The vessel is also equipped with scrubbers and other emissions-related technologies that will help it achieve IMO NOx Tier III requirements.
Maersk also recently took delivery of the Maersk Biscayne, the third of 10 vessels that will be chartered from Japanese Lepta Shipping. These vessels will all be 35,000 TEUs and will be named after American national parks. Maersk has stated that all of these vessels will be delivered through mid-2024 and will have a 12-15% improved fuel efficiency per TEU, achieved by improving vessel shape and opting for energy-efficient technologies.
