It is not only in the Far East that ships with modern propulsion systems are being built: the “Kaşif Kalkavan” is Turkey’s first LNG container ship. The new vessel has now called at the port of Marport near Istanbul for the first time.
The “Kaşif Kalkavan” has a capacity of 4,000 TEU and is designed to run on a total of five different types of fuel, including LNG. According to Turkon Line, the shipping company that operates the vessel, the newbuild is equipped with environmentally friendly technologies. The vessel is intended to offer “greater operational flexibility” whilst helping to reduce the company’s emissions.
It is the first and, to date, largest LNG container ship built in Turkey, marking a “significant milestone” for the Turkish shipping and shipbuilding industries, Turkon Line said. The vessel was built at the Sedef shipyard in Istanbul, a subsidiary of Turkon Holding. It was delivered this year. With a gross tonnage of 40,888, it is 200 metres long and 37.5 metres wide. It flies the flag of the Marshall Islands. A sister ship with the same dimensions is currently under construction at Sedef.
To mark the “Kaşif Kalkavan”’s maiden call at the Marport container terminal near Istanbul, representatives from Turkon Holding, Turkon Line and Marport celebrated the successful delivery of the vessel. In future, further ‘next-generation’ vessels are set to call at the port regularly, strengthening the long-term partnership between the two Turkish companies. Marport, founded in 1996, has since become one of Turkey’s largest container ports. In 2024, around 1,370 vessels called at the port, with cargo throughput totalling 1.3 million TEU. The port serves as a central transhipment hub for supply chains between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
In terms of capacity, the Turkish shipping company Turkon Line is one of the ‘smaller players’ in the shipping industry. The company currently operates a fleet of six vessels, five of which it owns outright. According to data from the service provider Alphaliner, its capacity amounts to approximately 13,900 TEU.
