Despite its size, the Triple-E is no gas guzzler: the vessels
use approximately 35% less fuel per container moved than the
13,100-TEU ships being delivered to other container shipping
lines in the next few years for service on the Asia–Europe trade.
One major reason for its super ior efficiency is what is
happening in the Triple-E’s engine room. The Triple-E is designed
for a top speed of 23 knots, compared to Emma Mærsk’s top speed
of 25 knots. That tiny difference in maximum speed lowers the
power output needed from the engine by 19%, which allows for
slower revolutions in its engines and far greater fuel economy.
The Triple-E also has two slow running engines (‘ultra-long
stroke’) and two large propellers, a combination called ‘twin skeg’.
The reason for using this combination is that Maersk Line studies
found that using two of these slower running engines to turn two
propellers results in further energy savings of 4% compared to a
one engine/one propeller design.
Further boosting the efficiency of the vessel further is a waste
heat recovery system situated in the engine room, which captures
and reuses heat and pressure from the engine’s exhaust that would

normally escape as wasted energy. Reusing this waste heat increases
the power to the engine by 9%, reducing fuel consumption by 9%.
The role of container ports
The arrival of the Triple-E will raise the bar for ports. Over
the last few years several major ports in China, South-East
Asia and Europe have developed their infrastructure in
order to accommodate larger ships. While major individual
terminals have berths that can fit a 400-meter long vessel with
a draft requirement of 16 meters, there is significant room for
development in terms of capabilities and performance.
For instance, the wide beam of 53 meters on a Triple-E vessel
will need to be matched by improved outreach of quay cranes
in some ports. In addition, the height at which most cranes can
operate today is a roadblock in utilising the top tiers of current
vessels such as the Emma Mærsk. As the complexity and scale of
ship-to-shore operations continues to grow, maintaining and in fact
improving the turnaround time becomes increasingly important.
Tommy Nilsson, Head of Terminal Strategy at Maersk Line
explains: “Today, having the right capacity and capabilities
is integral to the long-term growth and success of ports.
Ensuring that the nautical infrastructure, quay design, cranes and
operational layout match the specifications of future vessels is
needed for ports to get ahead of the curve.”
Adding to his comments on r ight-sizing, Tommy also
highlights the need for optimization: “For over 10 years now,
berth productivity has fallen behind what is required to serve
the average call size of container vessels. Crane productivity
has also progressed on a fairly flat curve. This trend is of course
very concerning as we prepare to launch the next generation of
18,000-TEU ships. Maersk Line’s message to vendors is clear:
higher productivity is no more a nice-to-have but a need-tohave.
Otherwise ports will become the bottlenecks to growth. To
overcome this challenge, container ports must by all means invest
in improvements that will drive both productivity and energy
efficiency in the immediate future.”