New wave… #MaltaFreeportTerminals is delighted to welcome MSC Benin, a next-generation Neo-Panamax container vessel built in 2025 by New Times Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in China.
Its striking vertical windbreaker-style bow is a smart solution that slashes wind resistance, improves fuel efficiency, and handles rough seas. This makes it particularly suitable for long ocean crossings. Thanks to its dual-fuel LNG engine, the vessel is also built for performance, sustainability, and environmental responsibility.
MSC Benin meets strict IMO standards while delivering real-world operational gains, which are especially valuable in the context of slow steaming, where ships operate at reduced speeds to conserve fuel and lower emissions.
During its call at Malta Freeport, it berthed at Terminal Two North where four quayside cranes handled 1,312 discharges and 1,426 load container moves.
MSC Benin operates on the MSC’s California Service, a service predominantly focused on carrying reefer containers from South America to Europe, stopping at: Gioia Tauro – Civitavecchia – La Spezia – Fos – Valencia – Sines – Panama – Rodman – Lazaro Cardenas – Manzanillo – Los Angeles – Seattle – Oakland – Manzanillo – Lazaro Cardenas – Rodman – Panama – Colon – Cristobal – Malta Freeport – Gioia Tauro
Measuring 260m in length, 46m in beam, and boasting a capacity of 8,496 TEUs including 1,300 reefer plugs, MSC Benin is at the cutting edge of shipbuilding design.
