China helps build world-beater

Chinese shipbuilding experience is playing a key role in the construction of the world's biggest container ships, the first of which, the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller, is due to start sea trials on May 27.

Twenty of the ships, which can each carry 18,270 20-foot containers and at 399.25 metres long are nearly the length of four soccer pitches, are being built for Maersk Line by South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

Maersk awarded Daewoo two contracts in 2011 totalling US$3.8 billion for the Triple-E ships, named for their economies of scale, energy efficiency and environmental improvements.

Peter Bertelsen, lead hull superintendent at Maersk Maritime Technology, said a lack of capacity at Daewoo and its South Korea subcontractors meant 40 per cent of the steel used in each ship is fabricated into massive hull sections in China.

These sections are built by DSME Shandong at Yantai in Shandong and brought to Daewoo's shipyard at Okpo by barge, a voyage that takes around seven days, according to Lee Sang-boo, ship construction manager. Maersk has two staff working at Yantai to ensure the hull segments, which are 59 metres wide and form the middle section of the ship, are built properly.

Soren Arnberg, site office manager for Maersk Maritime Technology, said construction of the ships is on programme, but the biggest challenge remains for Daewoo to understand the building schedule.