MEDITERRANEAN Shipping Company (MSC) has revised upwards the official capacity of its new mega ship, MSC Gulsun, by adding on an extra 805 TEU, bringing the nominal carrying capacity to 23,765 TEU. Consequently, the MSC Gulsun is 2,000 TEU larger than the biggest vessels operated by its rivals. Despite being the same length as the 21,413 TEU OOCL Hong Kong-series of ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs), at 399 metres, the scrubber-fitted MSC Gulson has a beam nine metres wider, at 202 metres, enabling an extra row of containers and making 24 rows across the weather deck, reported UK's The Loadstar. Part of a series of 11 vessels, MSC Gulun is one of six being built by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in South Korea, with the other five constructed at compatriot Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. The containership completed its maiden voyage from Asia to North Europe last week. With an optimum load of light, medium and heavy boxes, the MSC Gulson would need to be stowed 13 containers high on deck to achieve the 23,765 TEU intake, but this is unlikely unless the vessel is topped up with empty containers for repatriation on the backhaul Asia-North Europe service. Moreover, the extra row across its beam will exceed the outreach capabilities at some ports on its rotation. Indeed, Alphaliner noted that at the MSC Gulson's call at Bremerhaven the containers to be discharged at the German port were stowed only 23 across, due to the restricted reach of the terminal's shore cranes. The Aponte family-owned liner said the MSC Gulson had "been designed with a wide range of environmental, efficiency, stability and safety matters in mind," adding the ship features a "remarkable approach to energy efficiency" via bow design and minimised wind resistance.