Technological and economic implications of mega container carriers. Discussion. Author's reply

Economy of scale has driven the development of container shipping right from its beginning. The trend towards larger ships has accelerated in recent years and can be observed with the increasing size of long haul as well as feeder vessels. Post-Panamax ships present special challenges to designers as well as to safety regulators. After a brief overview of the success story of the container ship and a look at the possible future developments and limitations, design and safety aspects as well as economic implications of the new generation of containerships are adressed.