THE Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has taken delivery of the MSC Oliver, the second ship in the company's 19,224-TEU Olympic Series just two months after the delivery of MSC Oscar, currently the world's largest containership.

MSC Oliver, built at DSME shipyard in Busan, is named after the nephew of the Diego Aponte, MSC's president and CEO, and son of Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, who was on-hand during the inauguration ceremony. MSC Oscar was named after Mr Aponte's son, Oscar, reported LA's gCaptain.

"As these are the next generation of MSC container vessels it is fitting that they be named after the grandchildren of MSC founder, Gianluigi Aponte," explained Mr Vago during the ceremony, "Our children carry the promise of this family's future and these ships, the promise of MSC's destiny."

Diego Aponte and his son Oscar were in Busan two months ago to name MSC Oscar. "MSC Oscar and MSC Oliver are in the same class. "Not only can they carry more containers, but they are greener and more fuel efficient," Mr Vago said.

MSC has described the MSC Oscar as the "most efficient vessel on the planet", with 35 per cent more cargo capacity and 35 per cent less CO2 emissions compared to other vessels.

In addition to economies of scale, the vessels achieve greater efficiency with a diesel main engine that optimises fuel consumption based on changing conditions.

MSC Oliver is expected to enter service on the Albatross Service which operates between Asia-Europe later this week.

The two ships will be by followed by 18 additional vessels with a capacity over 19,000 TEU by 2016. MSC Oscar and Oliver however are the first of six ultra large containerships (ULCS) in the Olympic Series, which will all be delivered by November 2015.