Malta Independent

400m container ship is largest ever vessel to enter Freeport

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One of the world’s largest container vessels – and the biggest ever to visit Malta – has called at the Freeport on its maiden voyage.

Forming part of an exclusive club of megaships, the Munich Maersk stretches some four football pitches in length (399 metres) and spans a breadth of 58.6 metres. At full capacity, it can carry 20,568 TEU containers.

To service the vessel, Malta Freeport deployed four superpost Panamax Quayside Cranes that were acquired specifical­ly to ensure that the facility can cater for the world’s largest megaships.

Malta Freeport Terminals CEO Alex Montebello said: “The container ship industry has been changing dramatical­ly as shipping lines commission bigger and better vessels. The challenge for us has been to have the vision to change with them so we can remain at the forefront of a hugely competitiv­e market.”

Montebello said the Freeport had modernised its facilities and equipment to ensure it could handle vessels of such magnitude. It has also increased its workforce, organised intensive training programmes for employees and implemente­d new work practices to raise performanc­e levels and service standards to the highest possible level.

“What we are seeing today is the fruit of the huge investment, amounting to some €240 million, that has taken place at Malta Freeport since it was privatised in 2004.”

Earlier this month, the Freeport successful­ly introduced the most advanced Terminal Operating System available worldwide that revolution­ises the container handling process and will consolidat­e the Freeport’s standing as one of the leading hubs in the Mediterran­ean.

The Munich Maersk, built by Daewoo Shipbuildi­ng and Marine Engineerin­g (DSME) in Korea, was delivered to Maersk Line – the world’s largest container shipping company – in June and belongs to a new breed of high efficiency vessels that can load a significan­tly higher number of containers as shipping lines seek to replace smaller, less efficient ships.

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