In Port News 20/07/2016
Source: Charleston Business
The Port of Charleston recently had its first call from a ship that had transited the newly expanded Panama Canal.
The Hannover Bridge, an 8,500-TEU “K” Line vessel, arrived at the port last week. It calls on Charleston as part of the weekly All Water East Coast Loop 3 Service of the CKYHE Alliance — COSCON, “K” Line, Yang Ming, Hanjin and Evergreen Line. That service connects the Southeastern U.S. with China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, according to the S.C. State Ports Authority.
TEU — 20-foot equivalent unit — is a standard measure of cargo capacity used in the shipping industry.
“The arrival of the first 8,500-class vessel to pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal locks bound for Charleston is a milestone for our port and maritime industry,” Ports Authority president and CEO Jim Newsome said in a news release. “We look forward to seeing this larger class of vessels more frequently in our harbor, which offers the depth and capacity required to serve the biggest ships deployed to the Southeast.”
The long-anticipated completion of the Panama Canal expansion is expected to bring larger ships to the port. The ports authority expects to handle its first 14,000-TEU vessel call later this year.
“SCPA is already benefiting from the upsizing of vessels in response to the expansion, with 16 of the 26 weekly container vessel calls in Charleston now being served by large ships formerly known as post-Panamax,” Newsome said.
In preparation, the ports authority is working to get funding to deepen the Charleston Harbor to 52 feet, enabling the port to handle ships up to that depth at any tide. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, gave the project its official stamp of approval in September with its signed Chief’s Report.
Source: Charleston Business
