The MSC NICOLA MASTRO: Italy’s Record-breaking Ship Named in Strategic Gateway of Trieste

• Institutions, authorities and over 600 guests of the company welcomed the arrival at the Trieste Marine Terminal of the "Celestino Maresca" class ship with a capacity of over 24,000 TEUs
  
  
• In Italy MSC handled a total of 1.8 million TEUs in 2022 and aims to develop intermodal transport to contribute to the decarbonization of the logistics chain

The naming ceremony of MSC NICOLA MASTRO, the largest ship ever to dock in Italy, belonging to the "Celestino Maresca" class of the world's largest and most sustainable ships by design, took place today at the Trieste Marine Terminal (TMT), in the presence of the customers, local authorities, and MSC employees. After calling at China, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Israel, France and Italy, the ship arrived in Trieste for the ceremony, reinforcing the MSC’s commitment to Italy and the Port of Trieste.

MSC, a world leader in the maritime transport of containers with a fleet of 760 ships and 70 terminals managed worldwide, 12 of which are in Italy, has always been committed to developing Italy’s handling capacity, as an important trade gateway for the South of Europe. In 2022 the company handled around 1.8 million TEUs calling at 19 ports across Italy, with 773,000 TEUs transported by truck and by rail in addition to 115 weekly train rotations through MEDLOG and MEDWAY. MSC's logistics and railway arms, respectively.

Connecting Italy to the world

MSC has a vital presence in the region and aims to create synergies between maritime and land transport by connecting ports to destinations in Northern Italy with a maximum transit time of two days. The rail network is continuously developing both operationally and with regard to decarbonizing inland logistics. MSC's investments in rail transport in the region, which began in 2022, have made it possible to substantially reduce CO2 emissions.

MSC’s intermodal transport capabilities, which use railway lines to connect cargo across Italy is one of the strengths of the port of Trieste and TMT. The christening ceremony of the MSC NICOLA MASTRO, which took place on the quayside of TMT, was attended by Diego Aponte, MSC Group President, together with leading local and national authorities and institutions, including Minister Luca Ciriani, Senator and Minister for Relations of the Italian Parliament.

MSC CEO Soren Toft stated, “Here in Trieste, our terminal and rail investments have established a strategic gateway that carries cargo all the way to landlocked countries of Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary even reaching as far North into Germany”.

Speaking on MSC’s family values he stated, “Those very same values, instilled by the Aponte family still live on amongst 180,000 people across 675 offices, nearly five decades since the founding of MSC.”

The Ceremony

MSC Group President Diego Aponte spoke on the importance of the day for MSC, not only because one of the world’s most sustainable vessels was being named, but because it was being named after Captain Nicola Mastro, “one of the most important pillars from MSC, and one of the best captains in the fleet.”

Moderated by Radio24 and SkyTg24 journalist and anchorwoman Maria Latella, the ceremony emphasized MSC's commitment to Italy, and ended with the traditional bottle breaking on the ship's bow after the customary ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by the godmother Ms. Glenys Mastro, wife of Capt. Nicola Mastro, after whom the ship was named.

Guests were also treated to a spectacular performance by Andrea Casta, Italy's most famous electric violinist, and Giada Grisetti, a gymnast from the Italian national team and winner of several medals in international competitions. The live music and acrobatic gymnastics performance emphasized the concept of balance between progress and sustainability, man and nature, present and past, which today guides the Company's growth.