Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the world's biggest shipbuilder, began building the first of five 19,000 TEU containerships for China Shipping Container Lines (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd.

The shipowner upgraded the original order for five 18,400 TEU containerships to ones capable of delivering 600 more containers. These new ships will be the largest containerships ever built.

The world's largest containerships will feature a 77,200 bhp electronically-controlled main engine and two EcoBallast seawater treatment systems. The main engine will maximize fuel efficiency, and reduce noise, vibrations, and carbon emissions by automatically controlling fuel consumption to suit sailing speed and sea conditions. The EcoBallast system can treat 3,000 m3 of seawater per hour by filtering and sterilizing bacteria and plankton bigger than 50 µm with ultraviolet rays.

The first containership, measuring 400.0 m in length, 58.6 m in width and 30.5 m in depth, is scheduled to be handed over by November this year. The remaining four containerships are slated to be delivered by the end of the first quarter 2015.

Hyundai Heavy has won orders for 102 ships out of the 372 ultra large containerships.