Egypt’s SCCT completes successful navigation trials
The Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT) had two successful navigational trials to test the port access and turning basins for 15,500 TEU vessels last week.
The first trial was on the Eleonora Maersk arriving from the Suez Canal’s North Bound Convoy, with a draft of 14.9 meters she berthed alongside before safely re-joining the convoy to continue her voyage west.
The second trial, took place at Port Said on Friday, 5th October, when the Edith Maersk approached the terminal from the North, completing a 180 degree maneuver in the turning basin.
The 397 meter vessel completed this successful operation with a draft of 14.8 meters with the aid of three tug boats.
This was the first time that any Egyptian Port has received a vessel this size.
“This is a significant moment in Egyptian maritime history,” said SCCT CEO, Klaus Laursen.
“Both trials would not have been possible without the excellent cooperation and leadership of both the Suez Canal Authority and the Port Said Port Authority.”
“Maersk Line is proud of this collaborative achievement which continues its tradition of innovation and business development in Egypt,” stated Simon Brown, Maersk Line Egypt’s Managing Director.
The Suez Canal Container Terminal, located at Port Said East, is a joint venture in which APM Terminals is the majority shareholder, and is one of the largest container ports on the Mediterranean Sea. An expansion project is currently under way to double its capacity to 5.4 million TEU.
Throughput at SCCT was 3.2 million TEU in 2011 with productivity of 35 moves per hour.
“With these two successful trials, SCCT is now open for vessels with a LOA of 397 meters and beam 56.4 meters (22 containers)” added Jan Buijze, Chief Operations Officer at the Suez Canal Container Terminal.
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