Emma Maersk: The Largest Cargo Ship in the World

Our Aquatic Correspondent Jeff Davis has been keeping tabs on the launch of the Emma Maersk, the largest container ship in the world, over at his most excellent blog.  Jeff writes:

After months of speculation overseas about her alleged dimensions and capacity, $38 billion, Denmark-based Maersk Line—the Microsoft of the shipping industry—has officially launched the Emma Maersk, now the largest container ship on the planet. How large? For starters, she's a quarter-mile bow to stern (1,303 ft.), longer than the Saratoga or any aircraft carrier. The ship also reportedly carries the largest diesel engines ever manufactured.

More important, her capacity is estimated to be nearly 14,000 TEU, far and away the largest of the industry. (The company lists official capacity at a little over 11,000, but has a long history of under-reporting these figures for all its vessels.) Most Oakland-bound shipping vessels from Asia and other international ports are toting loads between 4,000 and 5,000.  Now for the Microsoft comparison: Maersk already boats twice the overall fleet capacity of its nearest rival, and its parent company, A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, owns 40 container ports around the world. Why all of this matters? Maersk keeps expanding the economies of scale in shipping, a key driver of trade globalization. Emma cruises at an amazing 27 knots. More amazingly, she requires a crew of just 13.  Result? According to the Financial Times, "it often now costs more to ship a container by road 100km from a port to its final destination than it does to move the container by sea from China to Europe." Maersk, meanwhile, is building 10 more sister ships, just like Emma.

According to the latest shipping schedule, the Emma Maersk recently passed through the Suez Canal, and the ship is currently in transit to Singapore, with a scheduled arrival on 3 December.

Emma Maersk Fact Sheet (PDF download): LINK

jtashipphoto.dk Emma Maersk Photo Gallery: LINK

(Photo above from jtashipphoto.dk; graphic above from the Times of London)

Comments

[Raluca]

Wow! It is really HUGE!

[nobody]

So I'm curious how this vessel, at 1303 ft. in length, can pass thwough the panama canal, whose lock size is limited to 1050 feet...

[Snor]

Simple: This ship DOESN'T pass through the panama canal - as you can see from the map it's route is from Europe to the far East, and only passes through the Suez Canal.

[Esteban]

I believe that Panama is involved in a serious national debate about a canal enlargement project. I think it's still being hotly contested and will go to referendum or some such. It would expand the canal to a capacity of 1400 feet. Interestingly, there's a word of a competing canal being planned through Nicaragua. I think the threat of this will probably ensure that Panama needs to expand, but it seems to me that with ships already being produced at over 1300 ft, perhaps the 1400 ft. design is a little short sighted, ay?

[Emiliano]

Nicaragua will never build such a canal. Panama has already approved Panama Canal expansion and according to future demand studies, the average container ship size will be around 8,000-10,000 TEU, which is the Panama Canal target. Maersk has already stated that should Panama expand the Canal they will build a modified version of Emma to fit the Canal. Eventhough we expect larger ships, they are expected to cover the Asia Europe, and Asia-US West Cost. There is also a limitation on larger ships, as ports, hinterland congestion, etc.

[alexander nathaniel erewari]

i am in love withis great ship and hope one day i will on board working as deck officer.

[alexander nathaniel erewari]

i am in love with this great ship and hope to work on board as a deck officer.

[steve jones]

WOW ,, What a Ship!! I live in Coos Bay Oregon and the Port of Coos Bay is proposing to bring these beauties in here after some modifications to our channel. A container yard is proposed also that could handle 500,000 teu the first year.. Have you any idea who the marine developer could be? And what kind of products would be shipped in???? steve jones

[PETER ELLIOT]

IN MOST OF MY WORKING CARREER I WORKED WITH SHIPPING COMPANIES AND HAD THE PRIVILEDGE OF GOING ON BOARD QUITE A LOT OF THEM OVER 22 YEARS RORO'S INCLUDED. I SAW THE JUMBO SHIPS COME INTO TRAFFIC AND LATER OTHER EXTENDED SHIPS, BUT NEVER IN MY LIFETIME DID I THINK THAT SUCH A SHIP OF THIS MAGNITUDE WOULD EVER GRACE OUR SEAS.
MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DANES FOR FOR HAVING THE FORTITUDE TO BUILD SUCH A VESSEL. I DONT THINK SHE WILL COME TO AUSTRALIA BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
GOOD LUCK

[Art]

I could find no specifications on height. Fully loaded, I wonder if it could pass under the Golden Gate Bridge? Art

[Roy Edmundson]

To:Art( June 04)

It will be more likely to fit under the bridge IF it is fully loaded. The full load will sink the ship further into the water and allow the bridge superstructure more clearance, which you can see fron the photographs,is higher than the highest container on the stack.

[J. Hauerken]

Dieses wunderbare Schiff war vor einiger zeit im deutschen Hafen Bremerhaven und erregte größte Aufmerksamkeit!

J. Hauerken

[Nikolaos Gryparis]

Does anyone knows Emma Maersk's cost to built?

[S.M. Deshpande]

Yes amazing ship really.
But my concern is more for environmental protection. Maeserk does have a good record.
But some other shipowners (who will be lured into operating more such giants) have very dismal operational records.
Also just 13 persons used operationally for the voyages!!! Must be very LONELY in there.

[P. Blazejewicz]

As for the airdraft of the ship, the following can be stated:
The air draft above baseline is 73 meters and the design draught is 14,0 meters. Hence the air draft will be 59 meters at design draught. Fully loaded the ship will have a draught of approx. 15,5 meters, reducing the air draft to 57,5 meters.

The precise main particulars are:
Length overall ext.: 397,71 m.
length between pp.: 376,00 m.
Breadth moulded: 56,40 m.
Depth moulded: 30,20 m.
design draught moulded: 14,00 m.

About the building cost; that is not public information, but a guess of around US$ 150 mill. is as good as any.

PS: We are currently assembling no. 7 of the series in the dry dock, whilst no. 6 is being fitted out at the quay.

Regards
Peter Blazejewicz
Marine Engineer
Employee of Odense Steel Shipyard

[Rob]

have you got any more photos,i would like to see engine bay?

[Nazim Lokhandwala]

Hi I am photographer in Mumbai India.I have already started dreaming that One day I will Photograph this piece of machine.It is JUST AWESOME.I have no words to describe this magnificent piece of human creation.Best wishes are with you now and always.Lone live EMMA Mærsk.

[Ball]

i want is cadet of Mersk

[tom]

how many ports around the world can actually accomodate the emma maersk?

[ekow alberts]

i would like the opportunity to walk from the bow to the stern of this "21st century titanic"

[Capt Rajan Ramkumar]

I was just 27 years old way back in circa 1970, when I took maiden command of M.V. Shun Wah, Ex City of Cardiff, a ten thousand plus dwt tween deck freighter which then was pushing 28 years.
I am amazed at the compulsions of modern freight dynamics which aided by mind bogling developing in ship building techniques have led to such leviathan to be sailing the oceans. I salute the ever increasing tribe of shippers for driving this manic craze for bigger and bigger ships dotting the oceans of the world inorder to achieve lower and lower freight.Hope the bubble does not burst like in the case of ULCC's which I thought will one day cross a million ton dwt mark.

[Max Reiman]

Great looking ship.
Could anybody answer the question-
What are the job positions for the crew of 13 for such a highly automated giant?

[Captn R]

This is really depressing actually. This great "achievement" only serves to enable the comsumptive habits of humans. It also doesn't do much for the environment. The ship will transport and leave behind a huge amount of waste, contaminating the waters with foreign organisms and waste as it travels. This sadly sums it up.

Pick up from China 11,000 20ft containers full of:

Martini glasses, sports bags, shower gel, shampoo and bath foam, pinball machines, toothpicks, chopsticks, electric guitars, tool boxes, drum kits, lamp shades, silver and wooden photo frames, wooden trouser hangers, candles, books, laptop computers, singing and dancing gorilla toys, poker tables, bingo sets, lunchboxes, cuddly toys, make-up, dolls, toy motorcycles, christmas decorations, sofas, puzzles, televisions, frozen mussles, computer parts, CD players, fax machines, key rings, jam, noodles, biscuits, pumpkins (frozen), more than 1000 bales of carpet, 117 boxes of girls jeans, 40 boxes of brass, 2000 pairs of mens shoes, 9000 pairs of trainers, three boxes of spectacle frames and more than 1500 frozen cooked chickens....and all of the rest of the lead laden crap they make.

Return from Europe with:
Plastic scrap, waste paper and card, waste electronic components, repairable electrical goods and scrap metal.

[alex]

nice ship..,

[levi alop]

hi.. i wanna be part of ur shipping company.. i hope to get some update about job vacancies