An 18,000 TEU containership will make its first-ever North American debut with calls at two U.S. west coast ports later this month.

French container transport firm CMA CGM Group introduced this week that its new ship, MV CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, will make its inaugural U.S. port name on the port of Los Angeles on December twenty sixth, adopted by a name on the port of Oakland on December 31.

It would be the largest containership to ever to name at any port within the United States, and North America for that matter.

Until now vessels of this measurement have been deployed solely on Asia-Europe commerce routes. Their huge measurement and carrying capability, greater than 18,000 20-foot containers, has earned them a status as ‘mega-ships’, or extra formally Ultra-Larger Container Ships (ULCSs). 

CMA CGM says the Benjamin Franklin will probably be deployed on the Pearl River Express, a daily service connecting the principle China ports, together with Xiamen, Nansha and Yantian, with Los Angeles and Oakland.

The firm says it has been working intently with the ports to make sure there’s ample infrastructure to help a 18,000 TEU vessel.

At the port of Oakland, thousands and thousands have been in invested lately to arrange the port for large ships such because the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin. Improvements have included dredging berths and channels to 50 ft, elevating the peak of ship-to-shore cranes, and modernizing marine terminals to deal with larger quantity. The port authority there describes the upcoming name as a “trial-run” to make sure that the vessel may be berthed and cargo discharged effectively.

“Nothing this big has ever been seen in our country,” mentioned Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle. “There’s no doubt others will follow suit and we’re gratified that Oakland is one of the only ports in the U.S. ready to receive them.”

The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin was constructed in China by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation and delivered earlier this month. The vessel, with capability to hold 18,000 20-foot containers, measures 399 meters lengthy by 54 meters extensive, making it among the many largest within the CMA CGM fleet and the tenth largest on this planet by carrying capability.

The vessel will make its maiden name at APM Terminals-Pier 400 on the Port of Los Angeles.