Since the container ship was born, we have seen an impressive increase in order to get
advantage of the economies of scale. In the last two decades, the capacity of vessels has been
trebled. Currently, vessels of 23,000 TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) sail the seas.
Despite the exponential growth experienced in this sector, individuals question if it is
possible to reach a peak capacity, as has occurred with bulk cargo vessels and, recently,
aircraft. This paper aims to predict the possible size and dimensions of a new generation of
mega container ships. Based on economy of scale, port infrastructure, demand and
environmental trends and naval design criteria the limit ship size has been estimated. The
results suggest that it is still possible additional increases of the ship size. This paper allow
Port Authorities to understand the needs of shipping container industry and to figure out the
expansion and investment necessary.
