The world’s largest container ship, the 21,413 TEU OOCL Hong Kong, has made its maiden call at Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe.

The call represented a double celebration it also marked the return of OOCL to the UK’s largest container port after a 17 year absence.

Commenting on the two events, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Felixstowe and Managing Director of Hutchison Ports Europe, said: “The OOCL Hong Kong is the latest in a line of mega vessels to call at the Port of Felixstowe. The port’s location close to the main shipping lanes and the ports of Northern Europe, combined with a unique combination of road and rail connections, makes it the first choice for the latest generation of giant container ships.

“Our relationship with OOCL goes back 40 years and we are delighted to welcome them back to the Port of Felixstowe as part of the Ocean Alliance. We are honoured to have been chosen as the main UK hub for the Ocean Alliance and look forward to continuing to work with OOCL and the other alliance partners to provide the best possible service to UK importers and exporters.”

Richard Hew, Managing Director of OOCL, added: “We are very delighted by the warm welcome that the OOCL Hong Kong received from the Port of Felixstowe community. We truly look forward to working more closely with our customers, business partners and with the port community in developing our synergies for growth.”

The 210,890 gross tonne vessel was built at Samsung Heavy Industries’ (SHI) shipyard in Geoje, South Korea. Measuring 400 metres in length and with a width of 58.8 metres, the OOCL Hong Kong serves the Asia-Europe trade lane as part of OOCL’s LL1 service.

The Ocean Alliance consists of OOCL, CMA CGM, Cosco Shipping and Evergreen Line.