(Yicai Global) Dec. 30 -- The world’s largest container ship, with a cargo capacity of 24,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, has set sail from the shipmaking yard in Shanghai, cementing China’s position in ultra-large container ship construction.

Designed and built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, the vessel is 399.99 meters long, 61.5 meters wide and 33.2 meters deep, the Shanghai-based ship builder said yesterday. It is the first in six 24,000 TEU cargo ships ordered by Taiwanese shipping conglomerate Evergreen Group.

Hudong-Zhonghua extended the length of one of its shipyards to 660 meters from 520 meters last year to be able to build such big vessels. This year it delivered six large container ships and still has 19 under construction, making it the busiest specialized production facility for giant cargo ships in China.

Editor: Kim Taylor