27,500 TEU giants will roam the sea
- Insights
The maritime freight sector has undergone seismic change in recent decades. The first container ships in the 1950s were converted vessels with space for little more than 50 TEU containers. A decade later, that capacity had already increased fivefold. This trend continued steadily, before accelerating rapidly after the turn of the Millennium, with shipping companies constantly outdoing each other and breaking records in spectacular fashion. Today’s maritime monsters can transport over 24,000 containers, making them too large for some ports to handle. And now there are plans for a new record-breaking ship with capacity for a whopping 27,500 containers.
The first generation of container ships were converted bulk carriers and tankers. It all began with the Ideal-X. This retrofitted T2 tanker from the Second World War carried just 58 containers on its maiden voyage in 1956. Being a relatively new transport technology, containers were still being tested and rolled out progressively in the early 1960s. Converting existing vessels to container ships proved to be a lower-risk and more cost-effective strategy than constructing purpose-built vessels. Malcom McLean quickly recognized the potential of this approach and invested in the new standard intermodal container that was to subsequently revolutionize the logistics industry.
From modest beginnings to rapid expansion
In the early days, most port terminals were not set up for handling containers and so the first ships were fitted with deck cranes. These vessels were also relatively slow, with speeds of between 18 and 20 knots, and could only transport containers on their retrofitted decks, rather than in their holds. The first purpose-built container ship was the Australian freighter MV Kooringa. Completed in 1964 and boasting a 276 TEU capacity, it would be followed by progressively larger vessels, which by the 1970s could carry over 1,000 TEU containers.
What is Panamax?
Ship dimensions then began to be expanded in the 1980s, creating capacities of between 3,000 and 6,000 TEU. However, these vessels were still limited to less than 300 meters in length due to the width of the Panama Canal’s lock gates at that time, and thus became known as Panamax or Panamax Max ships. Nonetheless, it was not long before pressure to cut transport costs per container gave rise to a need for larger vessels with even greater capacities, exceeding the then limitations of the Panama Canal.
Size matters at sea
The container shipbuilding industry experienced a tremendous boom at the turn of the Millennium. Post-Panamax vessels were followed by Very Large Container Ships (VLCSs) with capacities of between 11,000 and 14,500 TEU. Fast forward to 2013 and the Ultra Large Container Ship (ULCS) era was dawning. With an initial capacity of 18,000 TEU, these vessels can now comfortably handle over 20,000 TEU. The MSC Irina class is the current record-holder, measuring 400 meters in length and capable of carrying an impressive 24,346 containers.
It is no surprise then that this quantum leap in vessel dimensions over the past 20 years has impacted the world of shipping in several ways and presented ports with significant challenges. There are very few port quays of sufficient size and depth and with the huge container cranes required to handle these ships. It is often necessary to dredge and deepen port approach channels, as in the case of the River Elbe fairway in Hamburg. The Suez Canal can still hold its own for the time being.
By the way: The Panama Canal’s locks have now been enlarged to the greatest extent technically possible, creating space for the Neo-Panamax class of ships. With capacities of between 12,000 and 14,000 TEU, these vessels are imposing, but still rank as medium-sized compared with the behemoths of the seven seas.
Green record-breaker on the horizon
The bar for container ship capacity continues to rise; indeed, the next record-breaking project has already been unveiled. At the renowned SMM Hamburg trade fair in September 2024, the China State Shipbuilding Corporation announced construction of the first vessel to exceed the 27,000 TEU mark. Dubbed the Green Sealion 27500, this next-generation container ship is set to offer a capacity of 27,500 TEU.
The “Green” part of the name refers to the vessel’s dual-fuel propulsion system, which uses both conventional fuel and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and will make the ship compliant with IMO Phase III carbon reduction standards. The Green Sealion 27500’s hull will also be designed for maximum efficiency, with less water resistance and an even lower environmental impact.
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