The Emma Mærsk is the largest container ship constructed and the longest ship currently in use. She is just 200 feet (61m) shorter than the Ultra Large Cruel Carrier “Knock Kevis” (ex Seawise Giant). She is owned by the giant Danish business conglomerate, A.P. Moller-Maersk Group. M.V. Emma Mærsk took over the title of the World's largest container ship from M.V. OOCL Shenzhen 3 years after the latter was launched in April 2003. The Emma Mærsk represents the sixth generation of containership, also called the New Panamax class, because it will be able to travel through the new Panama Canal after it opens around 2014. She is a rational and highly automated ship thoroughly monitored by advanced computer systems. The ship can therefore be operated by a crew of 13 persons only. The vessel was the first to be launched in Maersk’s PS-type class . The Emma Mærsk, with a speed of 25 knots, entered service on the Europe to Asia route in September 2006

The super giant mighty ship was built at the Odense Steel Shipyard in Denmark — the shipbuilding arm of the A.P. Møller Company. Currently Maersk Line has 8 container ships of her kind. The PS-type class vessels in the series are Emma Mærsk, Estelle Mærsk, Ebba Mærsk, Edith Mærsk, Eleonora Mærsk, Elly Mærsk, Evely Mærsk, and Eugen Mærsk. Each is capable to carry 11,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) according to the Maersk Line's method of capacity. By normal IMO calculations, the Emma Mærsk's cargo capacity is significantly greater than the above capacity — between 13,500 TEUs and 15,200 TEUs.

The Emma Mærsk is 1,302' 6"(397m) long, 1,233' 3" (376m) between perpendiculars, and 183' 8" (56m) wide. The depth to the main deck is 98' 5" (30m); and it has a SW draft of 50' 10" (15.5m). She has a gross tonnage of 170,794 tonnes and a deadweight of 156,907 tonnes giving a full load displacement of 158,200 tonnes. The propulsion machinery is a 14-cylinder Wärtsilä diesel engine from Doosan Engine Co. developing 110,000hp (80,080kW) at 102 revolutions per minute. To augment speed the propeller drive shaft is fitted with two electric motors. Five diesel generators with a combined power of 27,759hp (20,700kW) and one combined gas/steam turbine generator of 11,399 bp (8,500kW) driven by the main engine exhaust are installed. Two bow and two stern thrusters, each with of 25 tons transverse thrust, are fitted to facilitate easy maneuvering in port. The bunker fuel tanks are placed away from the outer part of the hull. The ship has a waste heat recovery system, which uses exhaust gasses to generate some of the electricity needed aboard the vessel. Its hull is also covered with silicone-based paint, which improves fuel efficiency. She is designed and built to meet the highest demands for safe, precise, environmentally friendly and economic transportation of goods all over the world.

The Next Largest Containership