First Triple-E vessel calls at Shanghai, China
Maersk Line’s first Triple-E vessel “Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller” made its maiden call at Shanghai Yangshan port on 19 July. Dignitaries from local authorities, Shanghai International Port Group and Maersk Line gathered for a port call ceremony to celebrate the historic moment, said in the company's press release.
Mr. David Williams, Managing Director of Maersk Line East & Central China commented on the mega-vessel’s maiden call at Shanghai: “I’m very excited to welcome the first Triple-E vessel calling at Shanghai. Triple-E will help position us to meet China’s dynamic growth in foreign trade in the most efficient way possible and help us further tap into the development of China.”
The first Maersk vessel called at Shanghai was almost 90 years ago, signifying the beginning of Maersk Group’s business in China.
In 1968, Maersk Line had only one non-containerised service connecting Asia and Europe that consisted of twelve sailings per year and carried approximately 8,000 tonnes of cargo.
Today, Maersk Line vessels call at all major ports in China offering a wide range of dedicated weekly sailings to all parts of the world. For Maersk Line’s Asia-Europe trade, two-thirds of the cargo goes to and from China.
Mr. Chen Xuyuan, the Chairman and President of Shanghai International Port Group said: “We welcome the Triple-E vessel to call at the Port of Shanghai. The Port of Shanghai, the world’s largest in terms of throughput, has the facilities and experience to service this great new vessel. We will only benefit from the efficiency and environmental features of these new vessels.”
“The vessel is so huge and beautiful! More importantly, it features innovative technology, such as waste heat recovery system, leading to the energy efficiency and environmental performance. It emits 50% less CO2 per container moved compared with the current average on the Asia-Europe route. The Chinese government is seeking solutions to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, and I believe our practice can provide valuable experience in this regard.” shared Mr. Hu Ke, Head of Government Relations, Maersk China.
The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller left Shanghai to continue its maiden voyage. There are still a number of port calls coming up, and customers, fans and visitors will be ready, waiting.