On August 29, South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) welcomed the APL Yangshan, the largest container ship ever to call the Port of Charleston.
The Yangshan, which is 1,140 feet long and 148 feet wide, can transport up to 10,700 TEUs. The boxship is deployed on the China East Coast “CEC” weekly vessel service via the Suez Canal.
“The deployment of New Panamax vessels to the East Coast trade marks a new era. Today 16 of Charleston’s 26 weekly calls are handled by vessels 5,000 TEUs or larger, and we expect to handle our first 14,000 TEU vessel call later this year. As the deepest harbor in the Southeast, Charleston is well-prepared to provide the depth as well as the capacity and infrastructure necessary for efficiently handling big ships,” Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO, said.
The Yangshan departed Charleston for a call in Norfolk before it transits to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In early September, the Port of Charleston will receive another vessel of this size, the APL Barcelona.
Last month, SCPA welcomed two new cranes, boosting big-ship handling capabilities at its Wando Welch Terminal in the Port of Charleston. The cranes are expected to be operational by December 2016.
Earlier this week, the port authority ordered twelve Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes from the Finland-based crane manufacturer Konecranes that will be delivered to Wando Welch terminal in early fall 2017.
Image Courtesy: South Carolina Ports Authority