The world's largest container ship, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) China, was delivered to its owner in Shanghai, China, on Monday, with records in terms of capacity and new technology applied.

With a capacity of 24,116 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a measure of volume in units of twenty-foot-long containers, the MSC China overtook the Ever Alot, whose capacity is 24,004 TEUs, as the largest container ship delivered.

The ship has been developed by Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard (HZS) under China's largest shipbuilder, China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), and has been registered with Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the China Media Group reported.

According to Gu Lijun, director engineer at HZS, the world's largest container ship series consists of four ships, and the MSC China is the last one being delivered. The first one, MSC Tessa, was delivered in March.

With a total length of 399.99 meters, the MSC China has a molded width of 61.5 meters and a molded depth of 33.2 meters, with a deck as large as approximately four standard football fields.

The maximum number of stacked boxes can reach 25, which is equivalent to the height of a 22-story building.

The vessel can carry more than 240,000 tonnes of cargo.

High-tech eco-friendly device

Equipped with a hybrid desulfurization tower, the ship also enjoys an unique small bulbous bow, large-diameter propellers and energy-saving ducts.

In addition, the ship features the first-time use of a bubble drag reduction system and a shaft generator motor system, which enable it to carry more goods while consuming less fuel and emitting less carbon dioxide.

With optimized fuel consumption and ship energy efficiency design index, the ship can reduce emissions of about 6,000 tonnes a year. 

Up to now, Jiangnan Shipyard and HZS, both affiliated to CSSC, have developed and delivered thirteen of the world's largest ultra-large container ships, turning Shanghai into the world's research and development as well as construction center for ultra-large container ships.