CMA CGM's Marco Polo, the world's larges container ship, sails on maiden voyage

CMA CGM's " Marco Polo "

CMA CGM Group announced that the CMA CGM MARCO POLO, the world’s largest containership, began its first voyage on Wednesday, November 7th, in Ningbo, China.

Symbol of the pioneer spirit of the CMA CGM Group, the new 16,000 TEU vessel, owned by CMA CGM, sails under the UK flag.

Built by DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering) in South Korea, the giant of the seas displays exceptional dimensions: 396 meters long, 54 meters wide, with a draft of 16 meters.

The CMA CGM MARCO POLO is the first of a series of three 16,000 TEU vessels, that will all be named after great explorers. The delivery of the two next vessels is expected in 2013.

Operated on the emblematic line of the group, the 'French Asia Line' (FAL 1), the CMA CGM MARCO POLO will call at Ningbo (7 Nov) - Shanghai (9 Nov) - Xiamen (11 Nov) - Hong Kong (13 Nov) - Chiwan (13 Nov) - Yantian (15 Nov) - Port Kelang (19 Nov) - Tanger (6 Dec) - Southampton (10 Dec) - Hamburg (12 Dec) - Bremerhaven (14 Dec) - Rotterdam (16 Dec) - Zeebrugge (17 Dec) - Le Havre (19 Dec) - Malta (26 Dec) - Khor Al Fakkan (5 Jan) - Jebel Ali (7 Jan) and Ningbo (23 Jan).

The FAL1 operates the largest vessels of the CMA CGM fleet and offers its customers a fixed-day, weekly connection between Central and South China, the main exporting zones of the country, and Northern Europe. The direct service to Southampton and to Hamburg offers European importers the fastest transit times of the market.

The FAL1 is part of a global network of 8 CMA CGM services connecting Asia to Europe Atlantic, the most thorough offer on the market, and which is based on 29 vessels of 11,400 to 16,000 TEU.

Nicolas Sartini, CMA CGM Group Senior Vice President Asia-Europe Lines, declares, “It is with great pride that the CMA CGM Group launches this new vessel, which is the largest in the world. It shows the expertise of the group’s teams, who are able to handle not only the very technical piloting of the ship, but also its commercial operations.” < Korea Shipping Gazette >