Merito - IMO 9167942

MERITO is a veteran geared containership built in Shanghai, China, in 1998, which has remained in active commercial service for almost three decades.

The vessel began her career as SIGGA SIF and subsequently carried several charter names including P&O NEDLLOYD MAHE, NORASIA HAMBURG and CASCADE before receiving the permanent name MERITO in October 2003.

At around 150 metres in length and with a capacity of approximately 1,104 TEU, MERITO represents a generation of small geared containerships that remain valuable on regional routes and at ports where larger vessels are unsuitable.

Remarkably, she remains fully active under the Maltese flag in 2026, 28 years after delivery.

Vessel Details

Current Name: MERITO

Former Names: CASCADE, SIGGA SIF, NORASIA HAMBURG, P&O NEDLLOYD MAHE

IMO: 9167942

MMSI: 249096000

Call Sign: 9HKO9

Type: Geared Container Ship

Flag: Malta

Port of Registry: Valletta

Built: 1998

Builder: Shanghai Edward Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., China

Yard Number: H112

Design: BV 1000

Keel Laid: 28 January 1997

Launched: 21 August 1997

Delivered: January 1998

Current Registered Owner: MS “MERITO” GmbH & Co. KG

Management: Schiffahrtskontor tom Wörden interests

Classification: DNV

Gross Tonnage: 11,925 GT

Deadweight: approx. 14,332–14,380 t

Length Overall: approx. 149.55–149.60 m

Beam: 23.10 m

Draught: approx. 8.60 m

Container Capacity: approx. 1,104 TEU

Reefer Capacity: approx. 150 plugs

Cargo Gear: 2 × 45 t cranes

Main Engine: B&W diesel

Main Engine Power: approx. 10,400 kW

Historical Speed: approx. 18.5 knots

Current Status: Active

Built as SIGGA SIF

The vessel was constructed at:

Shanghai Edward Shipbuilding

as hull:

H112.

Her keel was laid in January 1997 and the ship was launched in:

August 1997.

Delivery followed in:

January 1998.

Her original name was:

SIGGA SIF.

BV 1000 Design

MERITO belongs to the:

BV 1000

general containership design.

Ships of this type were intended for flexible regional operations rather than the very large east-west trades.

At approximately:

150 metres long

and around:

1,100 TEU,

the vessel remains small enough to enter many regional ports but large enough for commercially viable liner operations.

Geared Configuration

One of MERITO's most useful characteristics is her own cargo gear.

She carries:

2 × 45-tonne cranes.

These allow the vessel to handle containers independently at ports without modern ship-to-shore gantry cranes.

This capability remains particularly valuable on:

regional Mediterranean

African

and smaller-port services.

SIGGA SIF → P&O NEDLLOYD MAHE

Only months after delivery, the vessel adopted the charter name:

P&O NEDLLOYD MAHE.

This identity lasted from 1998 into:

1999.

She then reverted briefly to:

SIGGA SIF.

NORASIA HAMBURG

Later in 1999, the vessel became:

NORASIA HAMBURG.

The name reflected another liner-charter arrangement.

By early 2000, she had once again returned to:

SIGGA SIF.

CASCADE

In 2002, the vessel adopted another charter identity:

CASCADE.

She remained CASCADE until:

October 2003.

Becoming MERITO

On approximately:

28 October 2003

the ship became:

MERITO.

The principal name history can therefore be shown as:

SIGGA SIF → P&O NEDLLOYD MAHE → SIGGA SIF → NORASIA HAMBURG → SIGGA SIF → CASCADE → MERITO

The MERITO identity has now lasted for more than:

22 years,

far longer than any of her earlier charter names.

German Ownership and Malta Flag

MERITO has long been associated with:

Schiffahrtskontor tom Wörden

in Germany.

The vessel sails under the:

Malta flag

with:

Valletta

as her home port.

Her current radio identity remains:

MMSI 249096000

and:

Call Sign 9HKO9.

Piraeus in 2019

MERITO has a clearly documented connection with:

Piraeus.

The ship was photographed at the port on:

3 March 2019.

She was documented again at:

Piraeus anchorage on 27 October 2019.

PiraeuShips published the dedicated:

MERITO – IMO 9167942

entry in August 2019.

Still Active in 2026

MERITO remains fully operational in:

2026.

September AIS records show the 28-year-old vessel continuing to trade around the:

Western Mediterranean,

including voyages involving:

Barcelona

Algiers

and:

La Spezia.

Current insurance documentation also carries certificates valid into:

2027,

confirming that the vessel remains in genuine commercial service.

Remarkable Longevity

MERITO is a good example of why smaller geared containerships can enjoy exceptionally long careers.

At 1,104 TEU she cannot compete with modern mainline ships on scale.

However, her advantages include:

moderate dimensions

onboard cranes

regional-port flexibility

and relatively straightforward cargo operations.

These characteristics continue to create demand decades after delivery.

PiraeuShips Record

MERITO was recorded at Piraeus by PiraeuShips in 2019 during what has become an exceptionally long period under her current name. Built at Shanghai Edward Shipbuilding in China and delivered as SIGGA SIF in 1998, the 1,104-TEU geared containership subsequently traded as P&O NEDLLOYD MAHE, NORASIA HAMBURG and CASCADE before becoming MERITO in October 2003. Equipped with two 45-tonne cranes, the vessel remains well suited to smaller regional ports and has continued active Mediterranean container trading far beyond the normal age of many larger liner vessels. Still fully operational under the Malta flag in 2026 at 28 years of age, MERITO is one of the increasingly veteran containerships preserved in the PiraeuShips visual archive.

Original video footage © PiraeuShips. All rights reserved.