(SINGAPORE) — MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has designed the cargo system for the world’s largest containership, MSC Gulsun, which was delivered in July 2019 by South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries. It is 1,312 feet long, 201 feet wide and is the first in a series of 11 ultra-large containerships with a capacity of more than 23,000 TEU. Six of the vessels are being built by Samsung Heavy Industries, and the other five by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.
The system was developed in close collaboration with MSC from an early stage of the project. It fully meets MSC`s operational requirements while maximizing the actual cargo intake. At the same time, it provides a great degree of flexibility for the cargo operations and planning process.
"This is an industry-leading cargo system, and the design of the system is very innovative,” said Atte Virta, senior naval architect, MacGregor Cargo Handling. The cargo system design, combined with a 24 container-wide ship design, takes MSC Gulsun's total container capacity to 23,756 TEU, which is 1,500 TEUs more than the largest containerships have previously carried.
"By designing an entire cargo system in close collaboration with our customers, we can respond to the market and specific requirements in the best possible way,” said Magnus Sjoberg, senior vice president, MacGregor Cargo Handling.
"As our fleet grows and technology develops, we want to make sure that our strategic investments are focused on maximizing the ship´s performance. Through our close cooperation with MacGregor we are able to develop new solutions that are of mutual benefit and help us to grow together,” said Giuseppe Gargiulo, head of newbuildings, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co.
MacGregor booked the orders for these vessels during 2018 and the first quarter of 2019. The parties have agreed not to disclose any further contractual details.
