Photo: Taiwan International Ports Corp

Ever Ace, the newest world’s largest container ship capable of carrying the 23,992 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) transitted the Suez Canal at the beginning of this month. The Ever Ace is notionally 28 TEU larger than the previously largest container ship, HMM Algeciras, delivered last year.

The Ever Ace is the first in a planned series of 12 ultra-large container ships to be built for Taiwanese company Evergreen Marine.

The Ever Ace‘s transit through the Suez Canal is significant only in contrast to the grounding of the 20,000 TEU container ship, Ever Given, in the canal last March for 6 days, delaying roughly 400 ships and disrupting trade valued at almost $10 billion.

To avoid a similar incident, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said it took “all necessary measures and procedures” to ensure safe passage for the record-setting vessel, providing a group of senior pilots and accompanying tugs for assistance, in addition to the real-time follow-up from the main traffic office and guidance stations along the canal.

The head of the SCA, Lieutenant-General Osama Rabie, said the canal is taking proactive steps and upgrading its navigational service as it aims to keep pace with these developments.

He said the world’s largest containership crossing the Suez Canal on its first cruise reflects the navigation community’s confidence in the canal’s ability to receive and accommodate current and future generations of mega-ships.