Built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea, this giant of the seas is 396 metres long, 54 metres wide and has a draft of 16 metres. The vessel sails under the British flag.
This is the first of three 16,000-TEU vessels that are named after great explorers.
The ship is being deployed on the French Asia Line (FAL1) service that calls at Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Port Kelang, Tanger, Southampton, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Malta, Khor Al Fakkan, Jebel Ali and back to Ningbo on January 23.
The FAL1 operates the largest vessels in the CMA CGM fleet and offers its customers a fixed-day, weekly connection between Central/South China and Northern Europe. The direct service to Southampton and to Hamburg also offers European importers fast transit times.
The FAL1 is part of a global network of eight services connecting Asia to Europe Atlantic, operated by 29 vessels from 11,400- to 16,000 TEU.
Nicolas Sartini, group senior vice president Asia-Europe lines, said: "It is with great pride that the CMA CGM Group launches this new vessel, which is the largest in the world. It shows the expertise of the group`s teams, who are able to handle not only the very technical piloting of the ship but also its commercial operations. Our entire network of 400 agencies all around the world is active to ensure the successful launching of this ship."