DSME builds world's largest container vessel

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering CEO Ko Jae-ho, right, and other officials celebrate the christening of the world’s largest container vessel at the Okpo Shipyard in Geoje Island, Thursday. Other participants are Xiuzhi Fang, left, director of China’s Bank of Communications, MSC CEO Diego Aponte, and his son. / Courtesy of DSME

By Park Jin-hai

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, the nation’s second-largest shipbuilder, christened the world’s largest container vessel Thursday.

The vessel, MSC Oscar, has a capacity of 19,224 containers, and is the equivalent of four football stadiums in length.

It is the first vessel of the three that China’s Bank of Communications has ordered to charter to Swiss container shipping line Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

“The vessel is equipped with pure dry system that can purify and recycle waste oil produced. It is the most eco-friendly and high-fuel efficient vessel,” said a company official.

Vessels operating costs heavily rely on fuel prices, which account for 60 percent.

Since the shipping industry is grappling with a chronic downturn, it is paying more attention to developing vessels with high-fuel efficiency. The Oscar will run on the Asia-Nothern Europe route from Busan to Shanghai, Rotterdam and Antwerp.