MOL’s 20,000 TEU Behemoth Starts Plying the Oceans

MOL Triumph, the 20,170 TEU boxship owned by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has been brought into service, the company said.

Namely, the world’s second largest containership freshly delivered from Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), arrived at Yangshan Port in Shanghai on April 10, 2017, marking its official commissioning into service. The ship’s title of being the world’s largest boxship has been taken over by Maersk Line’s Madrid Maersk, boasting 20,568 TEU, which was delivered to the company this week.

The two giant ships will both be sailing on the Asia – Europe trades as their respective owners eye bigger market share by employing their 20,000 TEU + size newcomers to the already struggling market suffering from low freight rates.

“MOL Triumph‘s calling at Shanghai is not only a momentous occasion for MOL and our customers, but for the entire industry as well. Increased deployment of our 20,000 TEU-class containerships will help MOL to encourage stronger ties with our customers and play a historic role in the expansion of global trade,” said Akihiko Ono, Senior Managing Executive Officer in charge of MOL’s Liner Division.

Deployed in THE Alliance’s Asia to Europe trade via the FE2 service-connecting China to North Europe- the MOL Triumph set off on its maiden voyage in the beginning of April and has already made three Chinese port of calls at Xingang, Dalian and Qingdao before arriving at Shanghai.

The boxship will continue to sail to Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantian, Singapore, and will then transit through the Suez Canal and continue on to Tangier, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Le Havre. On the way back to Asia, it will call at Tangier and Jebel Ali.