Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) held a naming ceremony for its newest addition to its fleet, the MSC Michel Cappellini, on July 17, 2023, in a specially constructed tent at the MSC Gate Terminal in Bremerhaven.

The 24,346-TEU ship is one of the largest and most fuel-efficient container ships in the world. It stands at a towering 400 metres in length and 61.5 metres in breadth.

The MSC Michel Cappellini can transport large amounts of cargo with the least amount of carbon emissions due to its massive capacity. The ship uses a tiny bulbous bow, big diameter propellers, and energy-saving ducts, among other environmentally friendly features, all of which reduce fuel consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions.

The ceremony also included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between MSC and the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg, as well as their respective ports. According to a press release by MSC, the agreement strengthens MSC's commitment to environmentally friendly practices by committing the company to use shore power for its ships when they are docked in both ports.

MSC CEO Soren Toft highlighted the importance of Bremerhaven to MSC as a European cargo hub, saying, “The ports in Bremen are such an important cargo hub for us in Germany and in Northwest Europe.” He added, “This is the third naming ceremony of an MSC vessel since 2015, and the second in Bremerhaven. It is, therefore, by no surprise that we continue to grow with our customers in Germany.”