World’s largest cargo ship MSC IRINA to berth at Vizhinjam Port today
VIZHINJAM: The world’s largest cargo ship, MSC IRINA, which has been anchored off the coast of Vizhinjam for the past week awaiting berth clearance, will finally dock at 8 a.m. today. The ship arrived in the outer sea near Vizhinjam Port on the night of June 3rd at around 7 p.m., and will remain docked at Vizhinjam Port for two more days for cargo handling.
Around 4,000 containers will be unloaded at Vizhinjam, after which the vessel will depart with a few containers still onboard. The delay in berthing was due to ongoing container handling from a feeder vessel at the port. Including IRINA, a total of 49 vessels are scheduled for this month.
MSC IRINA:
- Size equivalent to a 22-storey building, with a length of 400 meters and a width exceeding 61 meters.
- The ship, with a deck area of 24,000 square meters, can carry 24,346 TEU containers.
- Can accommodate 25 containers in a single row.
- Built in 2023, the ship has 35 crew members.
- Sailed from Singapore, travelled via China and South Korea, and returned to Singapore before heading to Vizhinjam.
- The vessel was brought to India for the first time by Malayali captain Villi Antony, a native of Puranattukara, Thrissur. Abhinand from Kannur is also part of the crew.
Mega ships MSC owns six mega ships of the same class as IRINA. The vessels include:
- IRINA
- LORETA
- MICHEL CAPPELLINI
- MARIELLA
- MICOL
- TURKIYE
These ships are collectively known as the IRINA Class, named after the first of the series. MSC TURKIYE had previously visited Vizhinjam Port.
World record: MSC IRINA and MSC TESSA, both ultra-large container vessels ordered by BOCOM Leasing Company for MSC, were named and launched simultaneously, setting a world record for a joint naming and launch of two mega ships.