The world's largest container ship, the MSC Tessa, was delivered to its owner in Shanghai, China on Thursday. 

The ship, developed by Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard under China's largest shipbuilder China State Shipbuilding Corporation, refreshed records in terms of capacity and new technology applied. 

With a capacity of 24,116 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) – a measure of volume in units of twenty-foot-long containers – the MSC Tessa overtook the Ever Alot, whose capacity is 24,004 TEUs, as the largest container ship delivered. The vessel can carry more than 240,000 tonnes of cargo and has a deck as large as approximately four standard football fields.

Upon delivery to the shipowner, Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., the ship will operate on the route between Asia and Europe, according to Gu Lijun, director engineer at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding.

The ship features the first-time use of a bubble drag reduction system and a shaft generator motor system, which enables it to carry more goods while consuming less fuel and emitting less carbon dioxide.

Gu said the ship can reduce emissions of about 6,000 tonnes a year. 

He said the series consists of four ships and that the remaining three will be delivered in March, April and June, respectively.