The trials were performed to test the port access and turning basins for 15,500 teu vessels.
The first trial was carried out on Maersk Line’s Eleonora Maersk which arrived from the Suez Canal’s North Bound convoy, with a draft of 14.9m. The vessel berthed alongside before safely re-joining the convoy. The second trial took place when the Edith Maersk arrived from the North. The 397m vessel completed an 180˚ manoeuvre in the turning basin with a draft of 14.8m and the help of three tug boats.
Klaus Laursen, CEO, SCCT, told Port Strategy: “The upgrade to allow 400m container vessels calling SCCT expands the area that can be served by these vessels to include Egypt for direct calls and the East Mediterranean Black Sea for transhipment.”
He added: “In Egypt the focus today is on developing the East Port Said project to a logistic and industrial hub serving the Southern European market as well as the Egyptian.”
An expansion project is currently underway to double the container terminal’s capacity to 5.4m teu.
