The Enfield, an ultra-large container ship (ULCS) with a capacity of 13,000 TEU, has called at Antwerp, breaking Maersk's record for the biggest ship ever to enter the Belgian port.
The Antwerp Port Authority recently deepened the river Scheldt to a maximum tide-independent draught of 15.5m and, since completing the third round of deepening, the port has been receiving many more calls from ULCSs.
Port alderman and authority chairman Marc Van Peel said: 'Antwerp is 100km further inland than other ports on the Hamburg-Le Havre range. This means maximum use can be made of shipping transport, which not only saves time and cost, but also reduces the carbon footprint.'
The Enfield will head for Felixstowe in the UK upon its departure from Belgium.
