Edith Maersk Antwerp

Edith Maersk, the largest container ship in the world, arrived at Deurganck dock in Antwerp on Friday 13 January, arriving at Antwerp as the first call in Europe coming from the Far East via the Suez Canal.

After loading containers in the Far East with the last port of Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia), the Edith Maersk sails to Antwerp, where it arrives today after a journey of 17 days.

Boasting a draught of more than 14m, the vessel discharged some 2,215 containers before leaving to head for Bremerhaven on Saturday.

The Edith Maersk, together with her seven sisters (Ebba, Eleonora, Elly, Emma, ??Estelle, Eugene and Evelyn), is the largest container ship in the world at 397m long and 56m wide, with a capacity of 15,500 TEUs.

However, the ship will soon lose its title of largest container ship in the world, with 20 Triple-E ships currently on order, the first 10 of which will be delivered in 2013.

The Triple-E class is 400m long, 59m wide and has a capacity of 18,000 TEU, making it unique in her kind and 16 per cent more than the Emma Maersk class.