On January 19, the second 16,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ship built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) for China Merchants Bank Financial Leasing was named. The new vessel was christened MSC Claire.
This vessel features an upgraded LNG dual-fuel system based on the original design. Its Type B LNG fuel tank boasts a single-tank capacity of 13,000 cubic meters, setting a new domestic record for marine LNG tanks of this category. Equipped with an air lubrication drag reduction system and shaft generators, it ranks among the top large green container ships in overall performance. Its maximum container capacity reaches 16,196 TEU.
It is understood that MSC is the charterer of the vessel. In March 2021, GSI and MSC jointly secured their first contract to build six 16,000 TEU container ships, followed by an additional order for two 16,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships from the shipowner. The vessel being named today is the second of the two additional 16,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships and also the eighth in the series of 16,000 TEU container ships built by GSI for MSC.
Notably, the eight vessels in this series represent the largest container ships ever built in South China. The GSI construction team progressed from initially feeling their way forward to mastering key core technologies such as digital simulation container testing, zero-tolerance manufacturing of sections and dock assembly, and fully automated welding of 85mm-thick crack-resistant steel. This enabled leapfrog development in the series, with each vessel built faster and better than the last.