Emma Maersk – The Secret Story Of Building The World's Largest Container Ship

Emma Maersk – Photo By Tidewater Muse

Emma Maersk

The Emma Maersk is a true Modern Marvel. She is the world’s largest container ship, the longest container ship currently in service and is propelled by the largest diesel engine ever manufactured. But during the final phase of construction and amid welding work, a fire broke within Emma Maersk’s multi-million dollar bridge, flames seized the ship from the bridge down through the accommodations, flames that could be seen for miles. Extinguishing a fire of this magnitude was only made capable by a group of local firefighters and crew trained to fight shipboard fires.
After escaping near total destruction, made possible only by those brave individuals involved, the Emma Maersk reached total recovery in record time.
The loss of a vessel this size would be on par with loosing an entire neighborhood of homes to flames. Where, like each home, time and energy, commitment, and progress had been put into the construction, with only the best intentions in mind. When such a vessel is engulfed by flames only to be saved, fixed and commissioned, progress and dedication again lead the way to success.
After a matter of weeks, of which the ship was also delayed, reconstruction was completed and Emma Maersk set sail on her maiden voyage. The commonly heard story of her successful journey from China to the United Kingdom bearing a cargo of Christmas items later that year, is a simple and appropriate metaphor. The Emma Maersk is herself a gift, her recovery a hopeful and inspiring tale of recovery and success.
According to AP Moller, the parent company of Maersk Lines, a single 20-foot vessel container on average can hold about 48,000 bananas. In theory then, Emma Maersk is capable of holding nearly 528 million bananas in a single voyage – enough to give every person in Europe or North America a banana for breakfast. Imagine now, this statistic in terms of Christmas presents. Without the amazing turn-around of Emma, the UK would have seen a lot of unhappy families that Christmas in 2006.
In losing Emma Maersk, we too, would have lost one of the most environmentally friendly container vessels ever built, as seen in her waste heat recovery system, which saves up to ten percent of power. But of even greater environmental importance is, due to her capacity being three times that of the largest container ship to ever transit the Panama canal, the number of smaller ships she replaces which, combined, would have a far greater consumption of fuel and emittance of air pollutants.
A year after the pivotal story of the Emma Maersk fire she was awarded “Ship of the Year” by Lloyd’s List, the world’s longest running magazine. Emma was given this award not because of her story, but because she set new standards in innovation, environmental issues and safety for the Maersk Line. Only a vessel that goes from the brilliant and ground-breaking design and construction, to a threat of extinction, to a final feat of success, deserves such an award,
Hailed openly as a true marvel of the sea, Emma Maersk’s journey from flames to reconstruction is a profound tale but certainly not the last estimate of human maritime achievement. In 2008 the South Korean shipbuilder STX announced plans to construct a ship capable of carrying over 22,000 containers and, with a proposed length of 450 metres, 25% longer than a Nimitz class aircraft carrier, the ship would become the largest seagoing vessel in the world. That is if her shipyard team can meet the challenges faced in constructing
The following are photos and video taken by the local fire brigade that fought the mighty Emma Maersk fire:




Video Of The Emma Maersk Fire:

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But by October 2006 the Emma Maersk had been fully repaired and set sail for her maiden voyage to Singapore: