CONSTRUCTION of two of the world's largest containerships with a capacity of 22,000 TEU has commenced. The ships are being built by Shanghai-based Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and are scheduled for delivery in 2019.

The two ships are part of a deal for nine 22,000 TEU vessels signed by French shipping line CMA CGM and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) in September 2017, reports Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide, Piraeus, Greece.



Each vessel measures 400 metres in length, 61.3 metres in breadth and 33.5 metres in depth and has a deadweight of 220,000 DWT. They can hold 2,200 four-foot refrigerated containers, accounting for one-fifth of the entire carrying capacity.



The ships are also the world's first giant containerships powered by liquefied natural gas. Compared to ships using heavy fuel oil, ship engines using LNG emit up to 25 per cent less CO2, 99 per cent less sulphur