World’s Second Largest Container Ship Arrives in the UK for the First Time

The world’s second largest container ship, the Globe, is docking in Britain for the first time as it continues its maiden voyage (play video above). But how vast and powerful is it and how long until it’s superseded?

Size
The Globe is more than 400m (1,312ft) long, the equivalent of eight Olympic-size swimming pools. It is 56.8m (186ft) wide and 73m (240ft) high, its gross tonnage is 186,000 - the equivalent of 14,500 London buses, according to the Port of Felixstowe, where it arrived on Wednesday.

But the record-breaking aspect of the Globe, owned by Shanghai-based China Shipping Container Lines and built in South Korea, is its capacity. It can carry 19,100 standard 20ft containers. That’s estimated to be enough space for 156 million pairs of shoes, 300 million tablet computers or 900 million standard tins of baked beans.

Laid end-to-end, the maximum number of containers on board would stretch for 72 miles, the distance between Felixstowe and London, or Birmingham and Manchester.

“You would feel dwarfed by the Globe,” says Damian Brett, container expert at Lloyd’s List shipping publication. “It’s like an office block lying on its side. It’s a huge beast.”

World’s Largest Containership Also Sets Record for Largest Engine Ever
The newbuild for China Shipping Container Lines is also noteworthy for being powered by what is physically the largest engine ever constructed.

CSCL Globe has completed sea trials, putting the ship’s massive MAN B&W 12S90ME-C Mark 9.2 type low-speed main engine through its paces. The two-stroke engine is rated at 69,720 kW @ 84 rpm, although has been de-rated to 56,800 kW, and stands a whopping 17.2 meters tall (that’s over 56 feet!).

Just check out the size of this thing compared to a typical person:

A Short Reign
The Globe’s period as the world’s biggest cargo ship ended in January. The Oscar, owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company and built by Daewoo in South Korea, is now the world’s largest container ship. Named after company president Diego Aponte’s son Oscar, it will be able to carry 19,224 20ft containers.