Smart Ocean, High-End Equipment | Third Vessel Delivered in 75 Days: CSSC Hudong-Zhonghua Hands Over a 24,116 TEU Container Ship

Smart Ocean, High-End Equipment | Third 24,116 TEU Container Ship Delivered in 75 Days, Further Strengthening CSSC Hudong-Zhonghua’s Leadership in Ultra-Large Container Ship Construction

Strengthening Leadership in the Ultra-Large Container Ship Sector

On May 22, the “MSC GEMMA”, the third vessel in the series of the world’s largest-class 24,116 TEU ultra-large container ships, was named and delivered at CSSC Changxing Shipbuilding Base. The vessel was built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in cooperation with CSSC International Trade Corporation for ICBC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. and Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

This marks the third vessel of the same series completed and delivered by Hudong-Zhonghua within just 75 days, further consolidating its leading position in the global ultra-large container ship construction sector. It also helped MSC become the world’s first container shipping company to surpass 5 million TEU in fleet capacity.

The “MSC GEMMA” was independently developed and designed by Hudong-Zhonghua and features fully independent intellectual property rights. The vessel is classed by DNV and integrates multiple advanced features including green technology, environmental protection, high efficiency, energy saving, economic operation, and enhanced safety, representing China’s latest design solution for next-generation ultra-large container ships.

The vessel is equipped with several proprietary energy-saving technologies, including a specially designed bulbous bow, large-diameter propeller, and energy-saving ducts. It is also the first vessel of its kind to adopt an air lubrication system, which effectively reduces overall energy consumption and cuts carbon emissions by approximately 3%–4%, saving more than 6,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The vessel also adopts a shaft generator system for the first time, which helps reduce fuel consumption, optimize energy efficiency design performance, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Currently, in the construction field of the world’s largest-class 24,000 TEU container ships, Hudong-Zhonghua has successfully overcome more than 20 major technical challenges, with 69 patent applications accepted. The reputation of its China-developed “maritime super cargo carrier” brand continues to grow stronger.

Striving for Excellence in May, Achieving Half-Year Goals

The successful delivery of the “MSC GEMMA” represents one of the highlights of Hudong-Zhonghua’s “Strive Through Red May, Achieve Double-Half Goals” production campaign.

Since the beginning of May, Hudong-Zhonghua has completed multiple major production milestones, including one vessel commencement, two vessels leaving dock, three vessels entering dock, and one vessel delivery, laying a solid foundation for achieving its annual targets of completing more than half of the scheduled tasks by mid-year.