On 24 July 2013, Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT) welcomed the inaugural call of the world’s largest container vessel, the 18,000 TEU Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller. YICT and Maersk Line jointly held a ceremony today to celebrate the landmark event with Patrick Lam, Managing Director of YICT; David Skov, Head of Maersk Line South China; and 150 guests from the different departments of the Shenzhen and Yantian governments, in attendance.
Speaking at the ceremony Patrick Lam said, “The choice of YICT as a port-of-call for Maersk’s newest and largest containership is a testament to shipping lines’ confidence in our expertise when it comes to handling mega-vessels. YICT has the geographical advantage of a deep-water draft together with contiguous berths and state-of-the-art operational technology, making it a preferred port-of-call in the region for mega-vessels and reinforcing its position as a gateway connecting South China and the world.”
During the maiden voyage of the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller at YICT, a total of 1,682 containers were handled.
The Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller measures 400 metres long, 59 metres wide. It is deployed on the Maersk’s Asia-Europe service and is the first of the liner’s Triple-E series, which is designed with the three design principles of efficiency, economies of scale and the environment.