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Maersk Line’s first 18,000 teu vessel, the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller has prompted much speculation on its economies of scale, particularly as HHI has just confirmed that it is negotiating an order for five slightly larger ships with UASC. Drewry says the rush to order vessels over 16,000teu for deployment between Asia and Northern Europe will gain momentum, despite the fact that they will be too big for the new Panama Canal locks due to open in mid-2015.