Malta Freeport Terminals has welcomed MSC Benin, a next-generation neo-panamax container vessel built in 2025 by New Times Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in China.
Its 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 International Maritime Organization (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
MSC Benin measures 260 metres in length, 46 metres in beam, and boasts a capacity of 8,496 TEUs, including 1,300 reefer plugs.
Earlier this June, MSC’s logistics arm, MEDLOG, officially opened the MEDLOG Inland Terminal Paris-Bruyères, a new multimodal facility located 40 kilometres north of Paris, France.