November 9 - The CMA CGM Group says CMA CGM Marco Polo, which entered service this week, is the world's largest containership.

The 16,000 teu ship which was built at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) yard in South Korea, has impressive dimensions: 396 m long, 54 m wide, and a draft of 16 m.

She is the first of a series of three 16,000 teu ships that will all be named after great explorers, with the other two vessels expected in 2013.

All three will operate on the Group's French Asia Line (FAL 1) which offers a fixed-day, weekly connection between Central and South China, and Northern Europe.

www.cma-cgm.com