HMM Set New World Record as Algeciras Leaves China Full of Cargoes

World’s largest containership of HMM, ‘the Algeciras,’ headed to Europe with the largest shipment ever of 19,621 TEUs on May 8.

HMM announced on May 10 that its world’s largest containership, ‘the Algeciras,’ set a new world record by leaving Yantian, China fully filled with container boxes.

The Algeciras made a call at Busan New Port on April 28, loaded 7,156-TEU cargoes and departed on April 30. After that, the ship arrived at Yantian, China on May 7 via Ningbo and Shanghai, China, and headed to Europe with the largest shipment of 19,621 TEUs on May 8.

The Algeciras is the world’s largest container ship and can load up to 24,000 units of 6-meter-long (one TEU) container boxes. In general, considering safe operation and cargo weight, a maximum load level is usually 196,000 TEUs, which is known as proper loading capacity.

MSC’s 23,756-TEU level containership Gulsun recorded the highest cargo volume at 19,574 TEUs, but the Algeciras set a new world record as it departed with 19,621 TEUs which was 47 TEUs more.

“We were able to fully fill the ship with cargoes through cooperation of Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, and Yangming, which are members of The Alliance, one of the world’s three major shipping alliances,” an HMM official said. “HMM will compete with strong confidence and take the lead in rebuilding the Korean shipping industry.”

Meanwhile, in 2018, as part of the government’s Five-Year Shipping Industry Rehabilitation Plan, HMM signed a contract to build 20 large vessels worth approximately 3.15 trillion won with three Korean shipbuilders to proactively deal with market changes. HMM will receive 12 units of 24,000-TEU ships from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and Samsung Heavy Industries every one or two weeks until September of 2020, and eight units of 16,000-TEU ships one by one from Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2021.