On July 27, after 490 days’ manufacturing, CMA CGM group in Marseilles, France, received a gigantic delivery of a containership named CMA CGM Vasco de Gama from China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

The 18,000 TEU containership is the largest one China has ever built. Designed by CSSC’s No. 708 Research Institute, CMA CGM Vasco de Gama is 399.2 meters in length, 54 meters in width, and 30.3 meters in molded depth. It is the size of over 4 standardized football fields, and has a the transport capacity of over three 18,000-ton bulk carriers. It has a service speed of 22.2 knots.

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., wholly owned by CSSC, undertook the building of the gigantic ship. Chen Jun, general manager of the cooperation, says that CMA CGM Vasco de Gama is the 7th generation of containership, newest in the world.

Before CMA CGM Vasco de Gama, China could only build containership of 5th generation. The manufacturing of 6th and 7th generation of containership has long been monopolized by South Korea. The delivery of CMA CGM Vasco de Gama symbolizes that China has broken up the monopoly of South Korea on manufacturing 10, 000 Ultra-large Containership (ULCS).