According to a recent article in Lloyds Register, container ships of 24,000 TEU are likely to be with us in the near future.  Vessels of up to 22,000 TEU are already planned and the inexorable rise in vessel size in unlikely to stop there.

Although it may well be possible to build these ultra-sized ships, operating them is not without its difficulties. There are insurance and safety issues and there may be problems navigating major canals and their deep draft may make gaining access to some major ports difficult. Maersk Line CEO Søren Skou is on record as saying that these large vessels could become so big that their flexibility and potential for cost reductions is compromised.

Photo; Maersk Tripple E class 18,000TEU