Today the Port of Barcelona received the first port call of the MSC Sixin, the second largest container ship in the world, which is performing a loading and unloading operation at the Hutchison Ports BEST terminal, the company said in its release.
The MSC Sixin, owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), is part of the class known as "MSC Gülsün" - named after the first ship of this type - and its 23,756 TEU capacity, 400-metre length and 61-metre width make it the second largest container ship in the world today. At present only one other ship at sea, the HMM Algeciras, has a greater capacity.
The MSC Sixin was launched in 2019 and incorporates the latest technologies currently used in maritime transport. It allows telematic connection of so-called "smart containers", has more than 2,000 connections for reefers and has been designed following strict environmental criteria, leading to a significant reduction in CO2 for each container transported with respect to the average of the container ships currently in service.
The goods that the MSC Sixin unloaded in Barcelona include alcohol-based hand sanitizers, latex gloves and medical equipment designed to combat the COVID-19 crisis.