World’s largest container ship makes maiden call at PTP
The Star
By Zazali Musa in Gelang Patah, Johor
The world’s largest container vessel Axel Maersk made its maiden call at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas on Thursday before leaving for Hong Kong and Shanghai the next day.
The vessel, part of the Asia-East II Eastbound service plying the PTP-Hong Kong-Shanghai route, would make a return journey to PTP every eight weeks.
Measuring 352 m in length and 43 m in breadth, it is the most modern container ship in the world. It is 5m longer that the present 347m vessels.
It has a gross registered tonnage of 93,496 tonnes and during its port call at PTP, it would load and discharge close to 3,000 containers.
Captain Jyrn Holger Pedersen receiving the plaque from Gan Chee Yee.
“It is great to be the captain of the largest container ship in the world and make our first port call at the fastest growing port in the world,” said the vessel master Capt Jyrn Holger Pedersen.
He was speaking to the media after receiving a plague signifying the maiden voyage of the vessel to PTP from its commercial manager (marketing) Gan Chee Yee.
Gan said the berthing of the vessel marked another historic movement for the port, which was built to cater to the largest container vessels in the world.