October 13, 2006
YICT Welcomes the World's Largest Container Vessel
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YICT welcomed the "M/S Emma Maersk", the largest container vessel in the world. What draws the world's attention is that YICT is the only port of call in mainland China for this PS-classification vessel.

Measuring 397 metres long and 56 metres wide, the "M/S Emma Maersk" has a shipping capacity of 11,000 TEU, equivalent to a train 71 kilometres long. Its engine can generate as much horsepower as that of 1,156 family cars. Its anchor weighs up to 29 tons, equivalent to that of five adult African elephants. Constructed using the latest shipbuilding technology, the vessel is highly automated and entirely monitored by advanced computer systems. Only 13 crew members are required to operate her.

Because she is featured with both a super size and heavy weight, the first condition that she asks from a port of call is that its berth should be long and deep enough. With a natural water depth alongside of 16 metres, YICT enjoys geographical advantages to accommodate such a jumbo-sized vessel.

In addition to deep water berths, she has other special requirements on a port's handling capacity.  One of the features of "M/S Emma Maersk" is that she is currently the only vessel in the world having a span that can hold 22 rows of containers, far beyond the outreach of general quay cranes, which can handle only 18 rows of containers. Thus, ports that are capable of handling such a super mega-vessel are very limited. YICT has been equipped with the world’s cutting-edge equipment, especially the super post-Panamax quay cranes, which are able to straddle 23 rows of containers. Besides, its average single crane rate reached over 35 moves per hour, taking the lead in the port industry.

In July 2005, YICT welcomed "Gudrun Maersk", the world's largest and longest container vessel at the time. With a length of 366.9 metres and a shipping capacity of 8,000 TEU, "Gudrun Maersk" was deployed on a European/Asian service. YICT is also the only port of call in mainland China for this vessel. From January to September this year, YICT received more than 410 super mega-vessels of this kind.

To cope with the trend of deploying super mega-vessels in the shipping industry, YICT has prepared itself as a preferred port of call for next-generation container vessels with its advanced terminal facilities and excellent handling capacity.