The largest container vessel in the world, the 24,000TEU class Ever Ace has made its inaugural call at the Port of Colombo, docking at the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) on 5 October.
The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Capt. Nihal Keppetipola said that at a time the world was facing a crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic which had created a major impact in the logistics industry, the inaugural call of the world's largest container ship is a significant milestone and pride for the Sri Lankan port.
The largest boxship in the world, operated by Taiwan-headquartered Evergreen Line, has a nominal carrying capacity of 23,992TEU, is 400 meters in length, 61.5 meters wide with a design draft of 14.5 meters and can cruise at speeds up to 23 knots.
Ever Ace commenced sailing on 28 July and deployed on Evergreen Line’s CEM service in Asia–Europe trade, calling at Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Taipei Port, Yantian, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Felixstowe on its maiden voyage.
The vessel is the first A-type container ship to be delivered in Evergreen Line’s fleet, as the carrier has ordered eleven more sister vessels of similar capacity, equipped with eco-friendly and fuel-efficient features.
The Evergreen-operated ships that are projected to join the Asia–Europe service upon delivery constitute a part of the shipping company's fleet renewal plan which also comprises the order of 24 newbuild container vessels.
