The Port of Hamburg has announced that the largest container ship ever to dock at its facilities arrived in the port on 20 April, prior to an eastward tour involving calls in Malta, the United Arab Emirates, China and Singapore.
The CMA CGM Andromeda, which boasts a length of 363m and a load carrying capacity of 135,000 tonnes, operates on the French group's French Asia Line 1 between Europe and Asia. The ship has a slot capacity of 11,356 TEU and 800 connections for reefer containers, yet uses 6 per cent less fuel than comparable ships, according to CMA CGM.
Over 20 vessels with capacities of 10,000 TEUs or more have docked at the Port of Hamburg so far this year, with the trend to bigger units expected to continue, according to the Hamburg Port Authority.
'The adaptation of the fairway of the outer and Lower Elbe is one of the Port of Hamburg's most important infrastructure projects,' said Claudia Roller, chairman of the board of Port of Hamburg Marketing. 'The fairway adaptation will ensure that ships with a seawater draught of up to 13.5m can enter and leave the Port of Hamburg without dependence on tides; with the help of the tides, ships up to 15.8m and outgoing ships up to 14.5m will have free passage. This will make the Port much more accessible to seagoing vessels.'
