The world’s largest containership is turning heads across Germany as it steams its way for the first time from Asia to European ports.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company’s largest container ship ever built, the MSC Oscar, made her maiden call at Port of Wilhelmshaven on Saturday, March 7th.
“We are delighted to welcome the MSC Oscar at Germany’s only deep-water port on a regular basis from now on,” says E manuel Schiffer, Chairman of the EUROGATE Group Management Board .
“The world’s largest container vessel at the container terminal with the greatest water depth – this is a positive signal for the future. The possibility to be able to reach the port at all times independently of the tides is ideal for ultra-large container ships and provides Wilhelmshaven with a unique selling proposition.”
The super-size MSC Oscar is equivalent to the size of four combined football fields and is now servicing the Albatross string on the new East-West trade routes between Asia and Europe.
The following video gives you a taste of MSC Oscar’s arrival in Wilhelmshaven:
The 45,300-ton steel MSC Oscar, which cost USD 140 million to build, is 395 metres long, 59 metres wide with a draught of 16 metres.
MSC Oscar is specially equipped with a modern, low fuel consumption diesel engine. In terms of structural design, the containership features a double hull structure for additional strength and resistance for heavy cargo loads in all weather conditions.
The giant boxship left D aewoo’s Shipbuilding and Maritime Engineering (DSME) Shipyard in South Korea, at the end of January and the ship is now making maiden calls across European ports including Algeciras, Rotterdam followed by Bremen and Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The ship is scheduled to return to Rotterdam this weekend before making its trip to Felixstowe.
The behemoth ship is expected reach the Port of Felixstowe on Monday, just two months after the last holder of the title sailed into the harbour , the CSCL Globe.
The following video shows MSC Oscar sailing into Bremenhaven:
World Maritime News Staff; Images: EUROGATE; Videos: Schiffs Kanal