Container ships: First Triple-E floated

South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has floated out the first of Maersk Line’s new 18,000TEU Triple-E class container ships at its Okpo shipyard and expects to deliver the 400m by 59m vessel in July, probably naming her Maersk McKinney Møller in honour of the late Mr McKinney Møller. The 20 Triple E ships will be the first box carriers with rounded hulls rather than streamlined V-shaped hulls, the change reflecting a shift by operators away from ships that go fast to vessels that emphasise fuel economy. The fatter hulls, usually seen in tankers and bulkers, also allow the use of a fuel-efficient two-engine set-up that is too wide for current container ships. JS