Triple E-class container ship

The Triple E class is a family of very large container ships of more than 18,000 TEU belonging to Maersk.

Triple E-class container ship Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller
Class overview
Builders: Daewoo Shipbuilding
Operators: Maersk
Preceded by: E class
Planned: 31
Building: 0
Completed: 31
Active: 31
General characteristics
Type: Container ship
Tonnage: 196,000 DWT
Displacement: 55,000 tonnes (empty)[1]
Length: 399.2 m (1,309 ft 9 in)
Beam: 59 m (193 ft 7 in)
Draft: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
Decks: 4
Propulsion: Twin MAN engines, 29,680 kilowatts (39,800 hp) each
Speed: Design cruise: 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) Max: 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Capacity: 18,340 TEU
Notes: Cost $185 million[1]
General characteristics (2nd generation)
Type: Container ship
Tonnage: 210,019 DWT
Length: 399 m (1,309 ft 1 in)
Beam: 58.6 m (192 ft 3 in)
Draft: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
Propulsion: Twin MAN engines, 31,000 kilowatts (42,000 hp) each
Capacity: 20,568 TEU

With a length of 399.2 m (1,309 ft 9 in), when they were built they were the largest container ships in the world, but were subsequently surpassed by larger ones such as CSCL Globe.[2][3]

In February and June 2011, Maersk awarded Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering two US$1.9 billion contracts ($3.8bn total) to build twenty of the ships.

The name "Triple E" is derived from the class's three design principles: "Economy of scale, Energy efficient and Environmentally improved".

The ships are 399.2 metres (1,309 ft 9 in) long and 59 metres (193 ft 7 in) wide. While only 3 metres (9 ft 10 in) longer and 4 metres (13 ft 1 in) wider than the Mærsk E class, the Triple E ships are able to carry 2,500 more containers. With a beam of 59 metres, they are too wide to traverse the Panama Canal, but can transit the Suez Canal.

One of the class's main design features is its dual 29.68-megawatt (39,800 hp) ultra-long stroke two-stroke diesel engines, driving two propellers at a design speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). This class is by design slower than its predecessors, using a strategy known as slow steaming expected to lower fuel consumption by 37% and carbon dioxide emissions per container by 50%. The Triple E design helped Maersk win a "Sustainable Ship Operator of the Year" award in July 2011.

Maersk plans to use the ships to service routes between Europe and Asia, projecting that Chinese exports will continue to grow. European-Asian trade represents the company's largest market; it already has 100 ships serving this route.

Orders and history

In February 2011 Maersk announced orders for a new "Triple E" family of container ships with a capacity of 18,000 TEU, with an emphasis on lower fuel consumption.[4] They were built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea; the initial order, for ten ships, was valued at US$1.9 billion (2 trillion Korean Won);[5] Maersk had options to buy a further twenty ships.[6] In June 2011 Maersk announced that 10 more ships had been ordered for $1.9bn,[7] but an option for a third group of ten ships would not be exercised.[8] Payment of the ship is "tail-heavy": 40% while the ship is being built, and the remaining 60% paid on delivery.[9] Deliveries were scheduled to begin in 2013.[10] Maersk negotiated a two-year warranty, where the standard is one year.[1]

Prior to 2010 many Maersk container ships had been built at Maersk's Odense Steel Shipyard in Denmark, but Asian builders had become more competitively priced.[11] Maersk had approached several different builders in Asia, having ruled out European shipbuilders on grounds of cost, and Chinese on technological grounds.[12][13] DSME builds three Triple-Es at a time, and it takes little more than a year to produce a ship.[1]

Investment in more efficient ships helped Maersk win the "Sustainable Ship Operator of the Year" award from Petromedia Group's on-line publication sustainableshipping.com in July 2011.[14]

In 2015 Maersk ordered an additional series of 11 Triple E-class ships, due to be delivered from 2017 onwards. The first ship is the Madrid Maersk. She went on her maiden voyage to Antwerp.[15]

Ships
Section of a Triple E-class ship, under construction
Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, passing through Suez
Maersk Triple E class
No.ShipYard numberIMO numberDeliveryStatusref
1Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller4250961990702 Jul 2013in service [16]
2Majestic Mærsk4251961991902 Aug 2013in service [17]
3Mary Mærsk4252961992130 Aug 2013in service [18]
4Marie Mærsk4253961993318 Oct 2013in service [19]
5Madison Mærsk4254961994506 Jan 2014in service [20]
6Magleby Mærsk4255961995710 Feb 2014in service [21]
7Maribo Mærsk4256961996907 Apr 2014in service [22]
8Marstal Mærsk4257961997120 May 2014in service [23]
9Matz Mærsk4258961998310 Jun 2014in service [24]
10Mayview Mærsk4259961999525 Jul 2014in service [25]
11Merete Mærsk4262963206422 Aug 2014in service [26]
12Mogens Mærsk4263963209017 Sep 2014in service [27]
13Morten Mærsk4264963210510 Nov 2014in service [28]
14Munkebo Mærsk4265963211718 Dec 2014in service [29]
15Maren Mærsk4266963212929 Dec 2014in service [30]
16Margrethe Mærsk4267963213113 Apr 2015in service [31]
17Marchen Mærsk4268963214327 May 2015in service [32]
18Mette Mærsk426996321556 May 2015in service [33]
19Marit Mærsk4270963216705 Jun 2015in service [34]
20Mathilde Mærsk4271963217930 Jun 2015in service [35]
Maersk Triple E class (2nd Generation)
21Madrid Mærsk4302977879107 Apr 2017in service [36]
22Munich Mærsk4303977880615 Jun 2017in service [37]
23Moscow Mærsk4304977881814 Jul 2017in service [38]
24Milan Mærsk4305977882013 Sep 2017in service [39]
25Monaco Mærsk4306977883230 Oct 2017in service [40]
26Marseille Mærsk4307977884404 Jan 2018in service [41]
27Manchester Mærsk4308978044508 Jan 2018in service [42]
28Murcia Mærsk4309978045728 Feb 2018in service [43]
29Manila Mærsk4310978046929 Mar 2018in service [44]
30Mumbai Mærsk431197804713 May 2018in service [45]
31Maastricht Mærsk4312978048310 Jan 2019in service [46]
Source: Equasis,[47] grosstonnage[48]

Design
Majestic Maersk in Copenhagen in September 2013, shortly after entering service. Maersk opened the ship up for public tours for four days. At the time this was the longest ship in service of any type.
Kayakers under the twin-skeg stern
Photo of Majestic Maersk showing the rear decks, partially populated with containers.

Specifications
  • Capacity: 18,270 TEU[49][50]
  • Length: 399.2 metres
  • Draft: 14.5 metres
  • Beam: 59 metres
  • Height: 73 metres
  • Optimum speed: 19 knots (35 km/h)
  • Top speed: 25 knots (46 km/h)[51]
  • Deadweight: 165,000 tonnes
  • In the first 10 vessels Engines are: Twin MAN 8S80ME-C9.2 engines, 8-cylinders, 800 mm bore, 3450 mm stroke, rated at 29.7 MW @ 73 rpm each, with fuel consumption of 168 g/kWh[52] (80 m3 (21,200 US gal) per day)[53]
  • Propellers: Twin propellers, with 4 blades, 9.8 m in diameter[54]

Propulsion

Unlike conventional single-engined container ships, the new class of ships has a twin-skeg design: it has twin diesel engines, each driving a separate propeller. Usually, a single engine is more efficient,[12] but using two propellers allows a better distribution of pressure, which increases the propeller efficiency more than the disadvantage of using two engines.[55]

The engines have waste heat recovery (WHR) systems; these are also used in 20 other Mærsk vessels including the eight E-class ships. The name "Triple E class" refers to three design principles: "Economy of scale, energy efficient and environmentally improved".[49]

The twin-skeg principle also means that the engines can be lower and further back, allowing more room for cargo. Maersk requires ultra-long stroke two-stroke engines running at 80 rpm (versus 90 rpm in the E class);[56] but this requires more propeller area for the same effect, and such a combination is only possible with two propellers due to the shallow water depth of the desired route.[13][54]

A slower speed of 19 knots is designed, compared to the 23–26 knots of similar ships.[13] The top speed would be 25 knots, but steaming at 20 knots would reduce fuel consumption by 37%, and at 17.5 knots fuel consumption would be halved.[51] These slower speeds would add 2–6 days to journey times.[57]

The various environmental features are expected to cost $30 million per ship, of which the WHR is to cost $10 million.[12] Carbon dioxide emissions, per container, are expected to be 50% lower than emissions by typical ships on the Asia-Europe route[58] and 20% lower than Emma Maersk.[59] These are the most efficient container ships per TEU in the world. A cradle-to-cradle design principle was used to improve scrapping when the ships end their life.[60]

The Madrid Maersk and subsequent ships in the series use electric motor-generator sets to improve operation.[61]

Dimensions and layout
Some of the longest ships ever built.

The ships were the longest in the world.[62][63] They have since been surpassed by other container ships, like the MV Barzan, which are exactly 400 m (1,312 ft) long. The Triple E series and its competitors often leapfrog each other for capacity as the types are updated with new ships larger than their sisters. For a while, Madrid Maersk with 20,568 TEU had the world's largest capacity until superseded by the 21,413 TEU OOCL Hong Kong.[64]

The hull is more 'boxy' with a U cross-section compared to the V-shape of Maersk's E class; this allows more containers to be stored at lower levels so, while the Triple E class is only 3 m (9.8 ft) wider and 4 m (13 ft) longer, it can carry 2,500 (16%) more containers. The Triple E class can carry 23 rows of containers compared to 22 of the E class, which makes better use of the reach of current terminal cranes.[12]

The deckhouse is relatively further forward, whilst the engines are to the rear; similar to CMA CGM's Explorer class of containerships, also built by Daewoo.[65] The forward deckhouse allows containers to be stacked higher in front of the bridge, further increasing capacity while maintaining forward visibility sufficient to comply with SOLAS regulation V/22.

The Triple E-class vessels are operated by a crew of 13, while the even larger Globe class requires 31 on board.

When the class was ordered, no port in the Americas could handle ships of their size.[66] Suitable ports include Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Qingdao, Yantian, Hong Kong, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore and Colombo in Asia, and Rotterdam, Gothenburg, Wilhelmshaven,[67] Bremerhaven, Southampton, London Gateway, Le Havre, Felixstowe, Gdańsk, Antwerp and Algeciras in Europe. The ships will be too big for the New Panamax-sized locks on the Panama Canal,[66] and their main route is expected to be Asia-Europe (through the Suez Canal).[68] The draft of the Triple E class is 14.5 metres (48 ft), less than the SuezMax requirement of 55.9 ft (17.0 m) at 59 m (194 ft) beam.[69] Handling equipment at ports was the main constraint on size, rather than the dimensions of canals or straits.[12] The container port handling speed can be 29 moves per hour in Tanger-Med,[70] or 37 in Rotterdam (215 per ship).[71] Anchor and mooring winch systems are being supplied by TTS Marine.[72]

Market

Maersk plans to use the ships on routes between Europe and Asia.[63] In 2008 there was a reduction in demand for container transport caused by recessions in many countries. This left shipping lines in financial difficulties in 2009, with surplus capacity. Some ships were laid up or scrapped. However, there was a sudden resurgence of demand for container transport in 2010; Maersk posted its largest ever profit,[73] and orders for new ships increased, leading to fresh concerns about future overcapacity.[74] The market was still characterized by overcapacity and decreasing prices for new ships in 2013. China Shipping Container Lines ordered five ships with a capacity of 18,400 TEU[75] from Hyundai Heavy Industries,[76] topping the Triple E class, with delivery from late 2014.[75] United Arab Shipping Company has ordered (also from Hyundai) five slightly larger ships and five ships larger than the Maersk E class.[76] Several other larger ships have been ordered by the industry.[77]

Slow steaming, as used by the Triple E class, is one way of managing capacity and reducing fuel consumption. The order for many big ships is a gamble on Maersk's part that Chinese exports will continue to grow.[63] Lack of market growth in the second half of 2012 caused Maersk to postpone a decision on how to use the Triple E class. Five Triple E-class vessels were to be delivered in 2013, with an impact sometime in 2014 with eight or nine Triple E-class vessels operating.[78] Maersk already uses approximately 100 ships on the Asia-Europe route, which is their most important.[57] SeaIntel expects about 46 ships with more than 10,000 TEU each to be delivered worldwide in 2013.[79] The construction of newer, larger ships has influenced development plans at ports such as London Gateway and JadeWeserPort in Wilhelmshaven (Germany),[80] and Algeciras and Tanjung had bigger cranes installed. The maximum number of TEUs carried in one trip was 18,024 in January 2015, in Algeciras, Spain.[81]

See also

References
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External media
Images
Construction photos. More construction photos
Diagrams & comparisons
Official media library
Triple-E at Langelinie
On board at Gdańsk
MMM sailing under the Great Belt Bridge. Another gallery
Video
Time-lapse video
MMM sailing under the Great Belt Bridge
Production video
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